Old Mobile Parts 1 & 2 History of Mobile
Colonial Race in America: 1607 English in Jamestown
1608: French in Canada
Any Colonial Activity in the Northern Gulf Coast? NO. Until one man entered the picture
René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle 1682 Louisiana in honor of Louis XIV of France.
1684: La Salle’s Second Voyage His two objectives:
Wreck of La Salle’s ship La Belle
Cofferdam Built Around the Wreck
Unfortunately…
If you were the king of Spain, how would you react to the French poking around on the northern Gulf Coast?
Spain makes plans to move men to Pensacola Bay
Louis XIV What do you think Louis XIV would do with the lands claimed for France by La Salle?
France’s Policy in the New World: Hem in the British One Big Problem for French…
Jérôme Phélypeaux de Maurepas, Comte de Ponchartrain You can call him Ponchartrain. Why is he important?. Also, where on the Gulf Coast do you see his name?
Spy reports Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville
Interesting, but Unimportant Facts Family history: Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville
Where else have you seen his name?
Jean Baptiste de Bienville,
Oh So Close
Biloxi Bay and Fort Maurepas.
Isle Massacre
Iberville’s Second Voyage: Spring 1700 Fort de La Boulaye on the lower Mississippi River Bienville put in charge of the fort.
Where was a better location? Mobile’s advantage:
Why was access to the rivers so important?
Mobilians, Alabama, and Grand and Little Tomeh.
Why were these villages so important?
These villages could be used as a buffer to the English moving down from Carolina and the Spanish from Florida.
Iberville’s Third Voyage When? Fall 1701 His orders. a. transfer…. b. along Mobile River, …
Why Would Iberville Chose Mobile?
First,... Second, even though Mississippi River was important,….
Why were Alabama Tombigbee Rivers so important:
This river system was of closer proximity to the English advance.
the Choctaw, the Chickasaw and the Alabama
Why Would the French Need these Tribes?
Think Population Which colonial power had the largest population?
The Native American tribes could become allies in the fight to hem in the British.