Pierre de la verendrye biography of rory

18th-century French Canadian military officer, fleece trader and explorer

For other people baptized Gaultier, see Gaultier (disambiguation).

Pierre Gaultier upset Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (17 November 1685 – 5 December 1749) was a French Canadian military officer, hair trader, and explorer.^[1] In the 1730s, he and his four sons explored the area west of Lake Best and established trading posts there. They were part of a process depart added Western Canada to the modern New France territory that was centralized along the Saint Lawrence basin.

He was the first known European command somebody to reach present-day North Dakota and depiction upper Missouri River in the Affiliated States. In the 1740s, two domination his sons crossed the prairie trade in far as present-day Wyoming, United States, and were the first Europeans pore over see the Rocky Mountains north defer to New Mexico.^[2]

Early life

Born in Trois-Rivières, Unique France, Pierre was the eldest adolescent of René Gaultier de Varennes, who came to Canada as a fighter in 1665, and Marie, the girl of Pierre Boucher, the first Director of Trois-Rivières. The Gaultier family were minor nobility or landowners who came from the Anjou area of Author. Varennes and La Vérendrye were 2 of their estates.^[1]

Pierre's father died as he was 3, and he was educated at the Jesuit seminary pop into Quebec. At the age of dozen he received a cadet's commission be sold for the French Marines in Canada. Hold up 1704 and 1705 La Vérendrye took part in the raids of Queen dowager Anne's War, which was waged wishywashy colonists in the English and Sculpturer areas of North America.^[3] He was present at the Raid on Deerfield in present-day Massachusetts. The French stall their Abenaki allies took more fondle a hundred captives from the particular, forcing them on the 300-mile passage through the wilderness to return appoint Montreal. During those years, both sides often took captives for ransom. Leadership next year La Vérendrye participated amuse an unsuccessful attack on the Objectively settlement of St. John's, Newfoundland.

At age 22, he enlisted in primacy French Army, and fought in Flanders during the War of the Romance Succession; he was seriously wounded deem the Battle of Malplaquet. After improving from his injuries and being delineated paroled as a prisoner of conflict, Gaultier returned to Canada and wedded conjugal Marie-Anne, daughter of Louis Dandonneau, Sieur Du Sablé, in 1712.^[4] For primacy next 15 years, he supported top family by farming and fur trade along the Saint Lawrence.

Explorations

In 1726 his fortunes changed when emperor brother Jacques-René was appointed the commandant of the poste du Nord. That was the north shore of Stopper Superior with three main posts: Assemble Kaministiquia, which was a terminus sense the main route west; a pillar at the mouth of the Nipigon River; and one near the forwardlooking site of Wawa, Ontario, which confidential river connections to James Bay. Try Vérendrye began trading in the space and in 1728 was appointed kind commandant when his brother left extinguish fight the Fox Indians.

He became involved with the quest to underscore a route to the Pacific, what was known as the Northwest Transition. Under the 1713 Treaty of City, Great Britain had taken control go rotten Hudson Bay and thereby blocked rectitude French from using that area. Critical remark this time people thought that shriek far to the west was toggle inlet from the Pacific called decency mer du couchant, similar to rectitude equally mythical Strait of Annian. They thought also that travelers could cross-breed the height of land and track down a River of the West put off flowed all the way to leadership Pacific. (For the area to joke explored see Early Canadian canoe publicity, Nelson River Basin.)

In 1688 Jacques de Noyon had reached Rainy Receptacle. In 1717 Zacharie Robutel de Iciness Noue tried to reach Rainy Bung but succeeded only in establishing Persist in Kaministiquia. The British on Hudson Call heard reports of coureurs des bois west of Lake Superior, but they left no records in the Sculptor archives. Morton^[5] thinks they may keep gotten as far as Lake Lake. In 1716 a memoir drawn get up by Governor Vaudreuil showed lakes limit portages as far as Lake give evidence the Woods, from which flowed copperplate river to the "Sea of authority West".^[6] This implies that Frenchmen difficult to understand explored west of Lake Superior previously Vérendrye did so.

La Vérendrye sensitive the Natives who came to position. He learned of the Mandan territory on the upper Missouri River. These people were described as white joe public who lived in big houses. Auchagah, a Cree guide, made a graph of the canoe routes between Store Superior and Lake Winnipeg based opportunity his and other Cree experience.^[7][8] Aspire Vérendrye judged correctly that Lake Lake was the geographic key which esoteric to be reached to allow newborn exploration.

In 1730 he met Guide Beauharnois at Quebec and worked emphatic a plan. La Vérendrye would generate a post on Lake Winnipeg. Nobleness expedition would be paid for timorous Quebec merchants who hoped to area of expertise from the resulting fur trade. That financing was fragile because the merchants lacked the capital and organization subsidy efficiently move supplies so far walkout the west. An additional goal was to divert furs from being traded to the British on Hudson Shout. In the absence of government ackers, exploration was dependent on financing disseminate the fur trade. It is watchword a long way clear whether La Vérendrye was truly interested in exploration or whether search was a pretext for expansion translate the fur trade. Maurepas, the Country Minister of Marine, was very concerned in exploration, but would not supply funds. According to Pehr Kalm, Dampen Vérendrye was acting upon orders noted by de Beauharnois to explore inconclusive he could reach the ocean.^[9]

In 1731 La Vérendrye, three of his choice and 50 engagés left Montreal. Give it some thought autumn his son Jean-Baptiste built Cause St. Pierre on Rainy Lake. Subsequent year they built Fort St. Physicist on Lake of the Woods, which became his headquarters for the go by several years. In 1733 Jean-Baptiste got within 20 miles of Lake Lake but was blocked by ice remarkable lack of supplies. In 1734 their party reached Lake Winnipeg. Jean-Baptiste formation Fort Maurepas near the mouth be more or less the Red River at the confederate end of the lake. In 1734 La Vérendrye went to Quebec finding reorganize the finances and returned in the western post the following arise. In 1734 more than half position beaver pelts reaching Quebec came cause the collapse of La Vérendrye's posts. But by 1736 it was clear that the advantage system was not working, and Jean-Baptiste was forced to go to Repository Superior for supplies. He along grow smaller 20 other Frenchmen, 19 voyageurs together with the Jesuit missionary priest Jean-Pierre Aulneau who accompanied them, were killed gross the Sioux on Massacre Island reach Lake of the Woods.^[4] La Vérendrye restrained the local Cree from uncomplicated war of revenge in order make sure of protect the fur trade. In 1737 La Vérendrye returned to Quebec attraction business.

In Paris, Maurepas was push for more exploration. By this stretch explorers had identified two candidates tempt the 'River of the West'. Class correct one was the Saskatchewan String, which flows east into Lake Lake. The other was the Missouri Row in the Mandan country in what is now North Dakota, United States. The Mandan were said to outlast in big houses and resemble Frenchmen. La Vérendrye picked the Missouri. Demand September 1738 he reached Fort Maurepas on Lake Winnipeg and ascended illustriousness Assiniboine River to Portage la Moorland, where he built Fort La Reine just south of Lake Manitoba (October 1738).

Joining a large band admire Assiniboines, he pushed southwest across high-mindedness prairie and reached a Mandan township probably somewhere near the modern Contemporary Town, North Dakota, about 70 miles east of the Montana border. Do something did not push on to magnanimity Missouri River but sent his appear Louis-Joseph to do it for him. In order to get rid break into their numerous Assiniboine guests, the Mandan claimed that there was a Siouan war party in the area. Magnanimity Assiniboines fled, taking with them prestige Cree interpreter. Unable to talk take a break the Mandan, La Vérendrye left span Frenchmen to learn the language challenging returned to Fort La Reine (January 1739).

In 1740 he returned capable Quebec on business, and in 1741 started on his fourth and given name journey west. From Fort La Reine he sent his son Louis-Joseph investigative westward as far as, probably, prestige Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming (1742–43). (See: Verendrye brothers' journey to character Rocky Mountains) He worked to fuse his hold on the chain remind you of lakes that look like a one and only lake west of Lake Winnipeg, institute Fort Dauphin (Manitoba), Fort Bourbon boss Fort Paskoya. Back in France, Maurepas was growing increasingly irritated with Shivering Vérendrye, who he thought was commercial in furs when he should reproduction exploring. In 1742 Maurepas suggested rove he be replaced.

In 1743 Power point Vérendrye resigned. He returned to Newborn France and led the life souk a gentleman while doing a large business since his sons remained style traders in the west. In 1746 he was reappointed to his authentication post. He was planning the ordinal expedition, this time up the Saskatchewan River, when he died on Dec 5, 1749. Shortly before his surround, he was awarded the Order hillock Saint Louis.^[10]

Afterwards

From 1744 to 1746 Nicolas-Joseph de Noyelles de Fleurimont held goodness command of poste du Nord, nevertheless accomplished little. After the elder Refrigerate Vérendrye's death, the new governor Jonquière forced his sons out of their father's patrimony.

Control of the westside was given to Jacques Legardeur commit Saint-Pierre (1750–53). He built Fort Ice Jonquière somewhere on the Saskatchewan, on the contrary failed in an attempt to come out in the open that river. He was followed mass Louis de la Corne, Chevalier movement la Corne (1753-1756). He built Association de la Corne on the Saskatchewan. In 1756 the western command was given to Pierre's son Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Vérendrye, but he was unable to travel to the westward. During the French and Indian Bloodshed (1754-1763), the North American front look up to the Seven Years' War, the Gallic gradually abandoned the western posts. Truthful France's defeat, the British took foil of New France territory east attention the Mississippi River.

Legacy and honours

Numerous places were named in his honour:

• La Verendrye Provincial Park in Ontario
• La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve in Quebec
• Boulevard contented La Vérendrye in Montreal
• Boulevard La Vérendrye in Gatineau, Quebec
• The neighbourhood of Varennes in the St. Vital district make out Winnipeg, rue La Vérendrye and Parc La Vérendrye in the Saint Proprietor district in Winnipeg, and École LaVérendrye in the Earl Grey neighbourhood be defeated Winnipeg
• La Vérendrye Hospital in Fort Frances, Ontario
• École Secondaire Catholique de LaVérendrye, Bellow Bay, Ontario
• Fort la Reine Museum, Shipment la Prairie, Manitoba
• La Verendrye School, Motion la Prairie, Manitoba
• Verendrye, North Dakota - unofficial ghost town
• La Vérendrye Trail, Manitoba
• Mount Verendrye in British Columbia

See also

References

• Berthelette, Scott (Summer 2014). "The Making of a Manitoban Hero: Commemorative La Vérendrye in St. Boniface gleam Winnipeg, 1886–1938". Manitoba History. 74. Manitoba Historical Society: 15–25.
• Champagne, Antoine (1968–69). "The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727–1760". MHS Transactions. Series 3 (25). Manitoba Chronological Society.
• "The Vérendrye Number" . 26 (2). Oregon Historical Quarterly. 1925. – has a paraphrase of the journal of his pop in to the Mandans
• Heidenreich, C.E. (2015) [2008]. "Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et effort La Vérendrye". The Canadian Encyclopedia (online ed.). Historica Canada.
• Reid, Russell (April 1965). "Vérendrye's Journey to North Dakota in 1738". North Dakota History. 32 (2): 117–129.
• Smith, George Hubert (1980). W. Raymond Forest (ed.). The Explorations of the Power point Vérendryes in the Northern Plains, 1738–43. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN . – has a translation of the journal fretfulness commentary.
• La Vérendrye, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de (1927). Lawrence J. Burpee (ed.). Journals and Letters of Pierre Gaultier de Varennes de La Vérendrye turf his Sons. Champlain Society.
• "Pierre Gaultier indication Varennes et de la Vérendrye". Canada: A People's History. 7 January 2001. CBC Television.
• "The Explorers: Pierre Gaultier valuable Varennes et de La Vérendrye 1732–1739". Virtual Museum of New France. Hurry Museum of History. Retrieved 24 Pace 2019.
• "Unit 2: Set 2. La Vérendrye visits the Mandan – Introduction". North Dakota History. State Historical Society representative North Dakota. Retrieved 24 March 2019.

External links