Jacques marquette and louis joliet biography template

(1637-1675)

Who Was Jacques Marquette?

Frenchman Jacques Marquette became an explorer in the mid-1600s, not only because of his interest in travel and discovery of new lands but also because of his religion.

He joined the Society of Jesus at age 17 and became a Jesuit missionary. He founded missions in present-day Michigan and later joined explorer Louis Joliet on an expedition to discover and map the Mississippi River.

Early Life

Marquette was born in Laon, France, on June 1, 1637.

At 17, joined the Society of Jesus and became a Jesuit missionary.

Marquette studied and taught in the Jesuit colleges of France for about 12 years before his superiors assigned him in 1666 to be a missionary to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

He traveled to Quebec, Canada, where he demonstrated his penchant for learning Indigenous languages: Marquette learned to converse fluently in six different Native American dialects and became an expert in the Huron language.

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