Important Great Lakes Events to 1812
ca.10,000 BC - First people arrived in the Great Lakes region, having migrated from Asia across the Bering Land Bridge anywhere from 25,000 - 15,000 BC.Jacques Cartier, 1534-35 - Second voyage to New World discovered Saint Lawrence River, looking for NW Passage to China.
Samuel de Champlain, 1603 - Founded Kebec, meaning "Place where the waters narrow" (Quebec), seeking fur trade areas to build French Empire.
Etienne Brule, 1610 - Traveled Ottawa River to discover Lake Huron; St. Mary's River to Lake Superior, Gitche Gumee, the "Shining Big-Sea-Water" by 1618.
Jean Nicolet, 1634 - Discovered Lake Michigan; still believed in the possibility of a NW Passage; thought he found China, but actually discovered Wisconsin.
Adrien Jolliet, 1669 - Followed route of Brule, but returned a different route; discovered Lakes Erie and Ontario.
Louis de Buade, Comte de Palluaue de Frontenac, 1672 - Contested British control of navigation on the high seas; built fur trade and French Empire for Louis XIV; consolidated fur trade and control of New France.
Jacques Marquette, 1673 - Established Jesuit Missions: St. Ignace Mission at Straits of Mackinac, another at the "Soo."
Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, 1673 - Made Great Lakes maps, and began exploration down the Mississippi River as far as present-day Arkansas. In 1669, traveled the Ohio River to present-day Louisville (the Falls).
1676 - The Hudson Bay Company, founded 1670, infringed on French and Indian Territories. Conflict occurred over land charters issued by French and English Kings.
1754 - The French and Indian War between Great Britain and France was actually a continuation of the European World War, and began over the British desire to connect upper Canadian lands with 13 colonies and an attempt to control fur trade in N. America.
1763 - End of French and Indian War - Canada ceded to Britain (Louisiana Territory is still French).
1775 - War for Independence
1783 - Treaty Of Paris: Great Britain relinquishes American colonies to new nation; southern side of Great Lakes region now part of the United States.
1794 - Battle of Fallen Timbers near Sandusky, Ohio, opens settlement of northeast Ohio to the Cuyahoga River from the resulting Treaty of Greenville.
1796 - Moses Cleaveland lands at mouth of Cuyahoga River and lays out the village of Cleveland. Settlement of the Western Reserve begins east of the Cuyahoga River,
1805 - Settlement of the western Western Reserve west of the Cuyahoga River by Euro-Americans begins as the result of a treaty with Native Americans.1812 - Second War for Independence. Control of south shores of Lakes finally won by US in 1815.