In 1684 French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle set sail from Rochefort, France with four newly built ships and 300 men. His goal was the mouth of the newly discovered Mississippi river, with the intention of building a new colony for the French crown. Strategically placed in the Gulf of Mexico, a base in the Mississippi delta would both block further English expansion and allow for the French navy to strike at Spanish ships along the coast of New Spain. Hopes were high, with La Salle believing that his mission could be the turning point in the French war against Spain.
Mariners go down with ship, lose 2-1
