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July 20th, 1661, saw the birth (well, actually the baptism) of one of the greatest explorers: Pierre Le Moyne D'Iberville. He was born in Ville-Marie (Montréal). He began to train himself as a sailor, often sailing on his father's vessel and participating in another explorer, Chevalier de Troyes' expedition in the Hudson Bay region. Yet he followed a military career in 1686.
As part of 70 Canadians and 30 French regulars, Pierre partakes in the mission to chase the English out of the Hudson's Bay area. It is this mission which gave him a name for as they prepared to attack the fort, Iberville was the first to get into Fort Moose (now Moose Factory) and found himself alone as the doors closed. It is because of his determination and courage that the English finally surrendered to Le Moyne, giving up all the south lands of Hudson's Bay. He became commander of the fort, and managed to get 85 Englishmen, whose vessels were trapped in the ice to surrender to 16 Canadians. Le Moyne returned to Quebec as a hero, in 1689. His story is engraved in Canadian Folklore. After many military conquests, including attacks on the Colonies of New York, Newfoundland and the Territories of the Hudson's Bay, the career of d'Iberville changes nature. Since the discovery of the Mississippi by La Salle, and others, in 1682, d'Iberville was asked to meet the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico. He leaves France and sails to the gulf. After arriving at the delta of the great river, he begins building forts and basically founds the colony of Louisiana. He founds Fort Mississippi, Fort Maurepas (Ocean Springs) and Fort Saint-Louis (St. Louis) and creates alliances between the French and the various Indian nations. In 1699, d'Iberville recieves the great French honour: the croix de Saint-Louis, the first Canadian to get it, making himself renowned internationally. He pleads the colonisation of Louisiana because he believes that it will create a strong colony and a strong France. In 1702 he writes his memoirs where he says that a populated Louisiana would stop British expansion. As we know, at this time, France's strength in America was its territory and alliances with the Indian nations whereas the English had fast growing populations in their tiny thirteen colonies. The Canadian man, more a military strategist and adminstator than explorer, leaves America to lead French expeditions elsewhere, going to Guadeloupe and Martinique, attacking British settlements in the Caribbean. D'Iberville, for personal reasons goes to Cuba where he dies in Havana of unknown reasons, possibly yellow fever, on July 9th, 1706. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Explorers of Canada, Part XVII: Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in Canadian Culture is owned by . Permission to republish Explorers of Canada, Part XVII: Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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