Why did French explorers come to Wisconsin?
French explorers first reached Wisconsin in the 17th century. Most came in hopes of discovering new paths to the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico for trade and transportation. These early explorers inspired many other traders and missionaries to come to Wisconsin in the late 17th and 18th centuries.
What years did Jean Nicolet explore?
In 1634 Jean Nicolet—dispatched by Champlain to seek a route to China—led an expedition into Lake Michigan…… In 1634 the French explorer Jean Nicolet became the first European to see Lake Michigan. The Jesuit Claude-Jean…… …was the French Canadian explorer Jean Nicolet, in 1634.
What did Jean Nicolet do in Green Bay?
Green Bay. …was the French Canadian explorer Jean Nicolet, in 1634. The bay was the head of an important portage route for the fur trade between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River by way of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
How old was Jean Nicolet when he discovered Lake Michigan?
Jean Nicolet, (born 1598, Cherbourg, France—died Nov. 1, 1642, Sillery, Que., Can.), French North American explorer who was the first known European to discover Lake Michigan and what is now the state of Wisconsin. The son of a dispatch carrier, Nicolet was 20 years old when he traveled to New France (Canada) at the request of Samuel de Champlain.
Where did Jean Nicolet go in search of the Orient?
Jean Nicolet landed at Red Banks, near modern-day Green Bay, Wisconsin, in search of a passage to the Orient. He and other French explorers had learned from their native contacts that the people who lived along these shores were called Ho-Chunk, which some French mistakenly translated as “People of the Sea”.
Where did Jean Nicolet live for most of his life?
He lived with a friendly Indian tribe on Allumette Island in the Ottawa River, learned the Algonquian language and culture, and participated in negotiations with the Iroquois. He returned to Quebec in 1620 and was then sent to live among the distant Nipissing tribe.