Marshy area know to natives as “The wild- garlic place” First people to the area came from land bridge made of ice from Siberia and Mongolia. Few natives chose to settle in Chigagou b/c it was too wet, thus not great for hunting

First major tribe was the Illinois (Illini or Illiniwek) Iroquois decimated the Illinois around 1650 and the neighboring Miami tribe moved in C Miami moved to warmer region; Potawatomi moved in Potawatomi kicked out by European settlers in 1833

Saw Chigagou as very important geographical location System of rivers in Illinois led to the Mississippi River (The Great River) The intersection of rivers around Chigagou created all- water connection b/w great lakes and the Mississippi Overland journeys would become a thing of the past

Jacques Marquette: Jesuit Missionary and explorer Louis Joliet: Explorer Marquette hoped to convert natives to Christianity Joliet hoped to map the vast unknown heartland of North America Their task was to find “The Great River” that flowed in the west and claim the land for France. They found the Mississippi River and realized that it flowed through the heart of America, not west to the Pacific Ocean

René-Robert de la Salle was sent to survey the Mississippi in 1682 and voyage all the way to the Gulf of Mexico The French claim the whole region and call it Louisiana for French King Louis XIV French focus more on New Orleans and Canada; Chigagou remains largely unsettled France had too much territory and not enough money