Voting Station

Robert Cavelier de La Salle

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Explorer

The Resume

    (November 21, 1643-March 19, 1687)
    Also known as Robert La Salle
    Birth name was René Robert Cavelier
    Jesuit (1660-1667)
    Explored the Great Lakes (1679-1680)
    Discovered the mouth of the Mississippi and founded Louisiana (1682)

Why he might be annoying:

    He invoked 'moral weaknesses' to leave the Jesuits and seek glory in the New World.
    He was morbidly obsessed with the finding of a new road to China.
    He dubiously claimed the discovery of the Mississippi.
    King Louis XIV declared the founding of Louisiana, named after him, 'quite useless.'
    But France had designs on Mexico. La Salle thus sexied up the maps and located the Mississippi closer to New Spain, making it strategically interesting.
    His lies got him the leadership of a flotilla that was supposed to reach Mississippi by sea.
    His morgue and incompetence made the expedition a nightmare.
    He landed on the Texan coast, and failed to find Mississippi again.
    He left with 287 persons only 36 survived.
    The infuriated survivors finally shot him.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He quelled a previous mutiny, and escaped several assassination attempts.
    He obtained New France control of the fur trade in the Great Lakes area.
    For that, he was knighted.
    He learned the language and customs of the Illinois, and got along with them quite well.
    He built and commanded the first European ship to sail the Great Lakes.
    He gave New France its maximal extension: at the time of his death, it stretched from the Saint Laurent to the Gulf of Mexico.
    Towns, parks and streets in the United States and Canada were given his name.
    A brand of automobile was also named after him. It is referred to in the 'All in the Family' theme song ('Gee our old LaSalle ran great').

Credit: Sviatoslav Mixer


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 19 Votes: 63.16% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 19 Votes: 57.89% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 36 Votes: 61.11% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 68 Votes: 60.29% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 106 Votes: 66.04% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 98 Votes: 55.10% Annoying