French Exploration in Abeyance 1691 to 1729

In 1697 the French crown had ordered all interior establishments closed except some of the strategic forts in the lower Great Lakes. It was about this time that the French officer De Vincennes explored the Maumee-Wabash route in performance of his duties among the Miami. These activities occurred in present-day Indiana and Ohio. With the establishment of the Louisiana colony in 1701, French exploration was diverted northward up the Mississippi. By 1701, Pierre le Sueur had prepared a detailed chart of the Mississippi and part of the Minnesota River. In 1714, Bourgmont explored the Missouri, while others were exploring tributaries of the Mississippi further south. In the east, Louis Jolliet began his last major work as an explorer in 1694, charting the coast of Labrador from the Strait of Belle Isle to about 56° 15' N latitude (roughly at present-day Nain). He was followed by De Courtemanche in 1704 who opened the southern Labrador coast into Hamilton Inlet.

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Kelsey on the Plains by Rex Woods

During this period, the Hudson's Bay Company sent Henry Kelsey (1690 to 1692) and William Stuart (1715 to 1716) inland from Hudson Bay to promote trading relations with any Aboriginal groups they encountered. These are the only inland journeys conducted by company men until 1754.

In 1713, the War of the Spanish Succession between France and England ended in the Treaty of Utrecht. The treaty forced France to recognize English claims to the shore of Hudson Bay and opened the interior to the trade of both nations. In order not to loose its earlier position in the interior France moved quickly to re-open posts closed since 1697 and to strengthen its Aboriginal alliances. By the late 1720s, French explorers were again ready to push beyond the known areas.

Voyages of Exploration

An audio description for each voyage of exploration shown on this map can be accessed from the list below or through the map using Get Statistics.

• 1700 to 1701 Pierre-Charles le Sueur (French)
• 1714 Étienne Veniard de Bourgmont (French)
• 1690 to 1692 Henry Kelsey (English)
• 1715 to 1716 William Stuart (English)
• 1696 to 1704 Jean-Baptiste Bissot de Vincennes (French)
• 1694 Louis Jolliet (French)
• 1704 Augustin le Gardeur de Courtemanche (French)
• 1719 Henry Kelsey (English)
• 1722 John Scroggs and Richard Norton (English)

The descriptions of the voyages of exploration are based on research by C.E. Heidenreich, Department of Geography, York University. An audio version of each description can be played as the user follows the exploration route made by the explorer on the map.

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• Probing the Rivers on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence 1651 to 1664 Map | Read about this map
• The Iroquois Country 1654 to 1656 Map | Read about this map
• The Great Lakes 1654 to 1670 Map | Read about this map
• Familiarization with Inadequately Known Areas in Hudson Bay and James Bay 1668 to 1689 Map | Read about this map
• Exploration of the Rivers to James Bay 1671 to 1686 Map | Read about this map
• Exploration West and Southwest Beyond the Great Lakes 1673 to 1688 Map | Read about this map
• The Western Interior 1731 to 1757 Map | Read about this map
• Exploration of the Ohio River 1739 to 1749 Map | Read about this map
• Early Probes of the North Pacific Coast 1741 Map | Read about this map
• The Search for a Northwest Passage and Exploration of the Eastmain 1742 to 1749 Map | Read about this map

• History
• Exploration 1497 to 1760
• Exploration 1651 to 1760
• References and Links