(1637–75). Traveling with his fellow adventurer Louis Jolliet, Father Jacques Marquette was one of the first Europeans to explore the upper Mississippi River. His writings gave Europeans their first accurate information on the river and its course.

Early life

Jacques Marquette was born on June 1, 1637, in Laon, France. At age 17 he decided to become a Catholic priest of the Jesuit order. For several years Marquette taught at Jesuit schools in northern France. His ambition, however, was to go to North America as a missionary. He wanted to teach the American Indians about the Catholic religion.

Missions

In 1666 Marquette's wish was granted. His superiors sent him to Quebec, New France (now Canada), where he studied Indian languages. Marquette was then assigned to a mission in the territory of the Ottawa Indians. There, during the winter of 1668–69, he met the young Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet.

In September 1669 Marquette was sent to the La Pointe mission on Lake Superior. A group of Illinois Indians visited Marquette and asked him to establish a mission in their lands. Before he could, the Sioux, the Illnois' greatest Indian enemies, forced the group to flee to the Lake Michigan region in 1671. Marquette accompanied them. That summer he founded the mission of St. Ignace on the north shore of the Straits of Mackinac.

Exploration

Jolliet came to St. Ignace in December 1672. The governor of New France had commissioned him to find the great river Marquette's Indian friends had spoken of. The governor also asked Marquette to accompany the explorer. Marquette promised the Illinois Indians he would return to them within four months.

After months of preparation, their expedition began on May 17, 1673. It consisted of Marquette, Jolliet, and five other men. The entire party traveled in two bark canoes.

The men traveled through Green Bay and along the Fox and Wisconsin rivers before reaching the Mississippi. They then sailed down the river, while Marquette preached to the Indians along the way. At the mouth of the Arkansas River, they learned that the Mississippi eventually flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. They decided to turn back, knowing that if they continued, they would run into Spanish territory. In late September the expedition reached a mission near Green Bay. In less than five months, it had traveled more than 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers).

Death

During the journey, Marquette had fallen ill. He stayed at the mission for more than a year, writing his journal as he recovered. In October 1674 he set out to found a mission among the Illinois. By the end of March, he and two companions reached an Indian village on the shore of the Illinois River. There, Marquette preached to a large audience on Easter. His health, however, continued to grow worse. Marquette tried to return to St. Ignace, but during the trip he collapsed and died on May 18, 1675.