Robert De la Salle was French born in Rouen, France. Spent nine years tudying to become a Jesuit priest but never became one.While twenty-four (1667) 

While in Canada he became obsessed with discovering an better route through central North America. Over the years, some people believed

him as visionary (some people even questioned his sanity) because of his obsession with becoming a famous discoverer.

La Salle's travels didn't seriously begin until 1673 when he became apart of the comte de FRONTENAC'S policy of western military expansion

of New France. He was given the command of Fort Frontenac, and was put in charge of the fur trade in that area. Robert traveled to Lake Michigan in

1679, Illinois county in 1680, and from the Illinois River down to the mouthof the Mississippi in 1682. Four new forts were established during La

Salle's travels: Niagara (1679), Saint Joseph and Crevecoeur (1680) and St.

Louis (1682).

Profits from the fur trade were supposed to fund the explorations, but because not enough money FRONTEAC's went into debt. FRONTEAC's withdrew his funding of La Salle's travels in1682, therefore La Salle had to search for another means of funding, which he found two years later from France.

King Louise and the French government expected La Salle to lay claim to Louisiana (stretching from Illinois county to the Gulf of Mexico and into Mexico, what was then Spain.In return he was supplied with ships and men so he could sail into the Gulf of Mexico, invade Spanish territory, and empty mines that were thought to be there. This took place in 1684 and was also a failure. La Salle did not find the Mississippi delta from the Gulf of Mexico. He was eventually murdered by five mutineers in Texas on March 19th, 1687 when his boat was stranded.