Marquette and Joliet’s Bold River Expedition in 1673

by Mahalia Pearson, age 13

Jacques Marquette was an explorer in the mid-1600s. Marquette was born in Loan France, on June 1, 1637. At the age of 17 he joined the Society of Jesus.

Marquette studied and taught at a Jesuit college 12 years before he was assigned to a mission. In 1666, Marquette was assigned to be a missionary to the Americas. He made his first stop in Quebec, Canada. During the time Marquette was in Canada, he learned six different Native American dialects. In 1668 he was sent on more missions deeper into the western Great Lakes region.

Marquette had a friend named Louis Joliet. Joliet was a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader. Marquette and his friend were chosen to lead an expedition to explore where the Mississippi River ended. For this expedition the two friends were given five men and two canoes. The Native Americans called the river “Messipi”, which means, “The Great Water.”

Even though the main goal was to explore the river, Joliet and Marquette had two different intentions. Joliet was more worried about finding the river, while Marquette wanted to spread the Gospel. They both continued their travels and went to present day Green Bay, Wisconsin. Marquette and Joliet went down the Fox River to what is now Portage.

From Portage they crossed over to the Wisconsin River and entered the Mississippi near Prairie du Chien on June 17, 1673. They continued down the river that eventually went to the mouth of the Arkansas River where they both realized they were within 435 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.

If they had continued down the river then they would have met with the Spanish colonizers and explorers. Joliet and Marquette learned that the Spanish were hostile to newcomers. This made them both afraid and they headed back homeward up the Illinois River in mid-July.

Joliet and Marquette decided to split up, leaving Marquette to stay behind in Green Bay. Joliet continued on to Canada, relaying messages of the expedition and the discoveries. In 1674 Marquette went out to start a mission among the Illinois Native Americans. Marquette and two companions were camped out near the site that is present day Chicago. They became the first Europeans to live there. During the spring Marquette found the Native Americans but due to illness he was forced to go back home. He later died on May 18, 1675.

Marquette has been memorialized in many places. His name can be found on buildings, statues, and streets.There is a major institution that commemorates him: Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.

[Source: UW–Milwaukee; Marquette University]