Pierre-Charles Le Sueur facts for kids
Pierre-Charles Le Sueur (born around 1657 in Artois, France; died July 17, 1704, in Havana, Cuba) was a brave French fur trader and explorer. He is famous for being the first known European to explore the beautiful Minnesota River valley.
Early Adventures in New France
Le Sueur first came to Canada with the Jesuits, a religious group, at their mission in Sault Sainte Marie. However, he soon decided to become a coureur des bois, which means a "runner of the woods." These were independent fur traders who traveled deep into the wilderness. Le Sueur was very good at this because he could speak several Native languages. This skill was super important for trading with different groups.
Around 1683, Le Sueur found some interesting bluish clay near a river that flowed into the Mississippi. He thought it might be valuable, so he took samples back to France. A chemist named Alexandre L'Huillier thought it was copper ore, a metal that could be used for many things.
Le Sueur wanted to mine this "copper," but his plans faced some delays. He was present in 1689 when France officially claimed Canada, a big moment in history. Eventually, he received a special permission from the king to open a copper mine. However, some people thought he was more interested in finding valuable furs than digging for copper!
Exploring the Minnesota River
In 1699, Le Sueur joined a group that traveled up the Mississippi River from Biloxi. Their goal was to reach the "country of the Nadouessioux" people. They spent the winter near Lake Pepin. Le Sueur went as far upstream as Saint Anthony Falls.
After trading with the local Dakota groups, in the summer and fall of 1700, Le Sueur and 20 men went even further up a river. The Native people called this river "minisota," which means "cloud reflected water." Today, we know it as the Minnesota River.
They continued their journey to the Blue Earth River. Here, they built a fort called Fort L'Huillier, named after the chemist who thought the blue clay was copper. They spent the winter at Fort L'Huillier, trading furs and other goods with the local Native American groups. They found the prairies were full of bison, and they learned to live mostly on a meat diet.
In May 1701, Le Sueur left some men at the fort and took a large amount of the blue earth (which the Dakota people called makháto) back to Fort Mobile for more tests. Sadly, the tests showed that it was not copper at all, and therefore, it was worthless. Later that year, Fort L'Huillier was attacked by Sac and Fox Native Americans. Three men were killed, and the fort was eventually abandoned.
Later Life and Legacy
After his explorations, Le Sueur sailed back to France. He hoped to get a job as a local judge in what is now Alabama. He left France in the spring of 1704 on a ship called the Pélican. This ship was carrying nurses and women to Louisiana.
During a stop in Havana, Cuba, Le Sueur became very sick with yellow fever. He had to stay behind. He made his will and sadly passed away on July 17, 1704. He was buried in the San Cristóbal church.
Even though his "copper" discovery didn't pan out, Pierre-Charles Le Sueur is remembered for his important explorations. Several places in Minnesota are named after him, including:
