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Louis Jolliet
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Louis Jolliet, also known as Louis Joliet with only one L (September 21, 1645 – 1700), was a French Canadian explorer. Jolliet is important for his discoveries in North America. Jolliet and missionary Father Jacques Marquette, a Catholic priest, were the first white men to explore and map the Mississippi River.
iet was born in 1645, in a French settlement near Quebec.
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Encyclopedia
Louis Jolliet, also known as Louis Joliet with only one L (September 21, 1645 – 1700), was a French Canadian explorer. Jolliet is important for his discoveries in North America. Jolliet and missionary Father Jacques Marquette, a Catholic priest, were the first white men to explore and map the Mississippi River.
Early life
Jolliet was born in 1645, in a French settlement near Quebec. When he was five years old, his father died and his mother remarried, this time to a successful merchant. Joliet's stepfather owned land on the Ile d'Orleans, an island in the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. Ile d'Orleans was home to many native Canadians. Jolliet spent much time on Ile d'Orleans, so it was likely that he began speaking Native American languages at a young age. During Jolliet's childhood, Quebec was the center of business for the French fur trade. The French traded goods with the Natives, who supplied the French with animal furs. The Natives were part of the day-to-day life in Quebec, and Louis grew up knowing a lot about them.
Jolliet was a good student who attended a Jesuit school. He studied writing, mathematics, and Latin. He was also a talented musician who played the harpsicord, flute, and trumpet.
Later years
Jolliet married Claire-Francoise Bissot, who was Canadian. In 1680 he was granted the Island of Anticosti, where he erected a fort and had some soldiers. In 1693 he was appointed "Royal Hydrographer", and on April 30, 1697, he was granted the seigneury (fiefdom) of Jolliet, southwest of Quebec City, making him a minor "lord", roughly the colonial equivalent of a hereditary baronet with the title of "Sieur Jolliet" (Sir Jolliet). Louis Jolliet died in the month of May, 1700, being lost on a trip to one of his land holdings, he then was never found.
Jolliet was one of the first people of European descent born in North America to be remembered for significant discoveries. Jolliet is a relatively familiar historical figure in both the United States and Canada. Though no authentic period portrait is known to exist Jolliet is often portrayed wearing either typical frontiersman garb consisting of Davy Crockett style buckskins and fur hat or in sharp contrast, ensconced in the European nobleman's accoutrement his personal wealth and prestige would have commanded when living in colonial society.
Legacy
As is the case with Jacques Marquette, Governor General Frontenac and La Salle, Louis Jolliet's legacy is most tangible in the Midwest (US) and Quebec (Canada), mostly through geographical names. Most notable among these include the cities of Joliet, Illinois, Joliet, Montana and Joliette, Quebec which was founded by one of Jolliet's descendants, Barthélemy Joliette. Discrepancies in the spelling of the original name of "Jolliet" reflect interpretations based on pronunciation at times when illiteracy was common.
Louis Jolliet died at an unknown location in Canada while on a trip to one of his land holdings. His remains were never found. His descendants live throughout Canada and the United States.
See also
External links
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