The ship instead sailed into Matagorda Bay, only to sink in 1686 where it was found 300 years later and underwent an extraordinary excavation and preservation beginning in 1995. La Belle now is at the center of the Museum’s first-floor exhibition La Belle: The Ship That Changed History.
Where did La Salle have his shipwreck?
Matagorda Bay
First was the excavation in 1996–97 of La Salle’s ill-fated ship La Belle that sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686. La Belle is one of the most important shipwrecks ever discovered in North America.
What happened to the twenty odd persons remaining at the settlement?
Almost two years later, a Karankawa band, feigning friendship, fell upon the twenty-odd persons remaining at the settlement on Garcitas Creek. Only half a dozen children were spared, to be ransomed later by Spaniards and taken to Mexico City.
Who shipwrecked in Matagorda Bay looking for the Mississippi?
de La
La Belle was one of Robert de La Salle’s four ships when he explored the Gulf of Mexico with the ill-fated mission of starting a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1685. La Belle was wrecked in present-day Matagorda Bay the following year, dooming La Salle’s Texas colony to failure.
Who owns all of the artifacts that were found on Labelle?
All La Belle artifacts are the property of France from the collection of the Musée National de la Marine. Courtesy of the Texas Historical Commission, Austin. This collander was among other 17th century items intended for use in the new colony.
Did La Salle cause his own death?
After several fruitless journeys in search of his lost Mississippi, La Salle met his death at the hands of mutineers near the Brazos River. His vision of a French empire died with him. La Salle provoked much controversy both in his own lifetime and later.
What was La Salle’s most important discovery?
René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687), was a French explorer and colonizer, best known for his discovery of the Mississippi Delta.
How long did they look for the Labelle shipwreck?
ten-week
In 1978, Barto Arnold, the State Marine Archaeologist for the Texas Antiquities Committee (the predecessor to the Texas Historical Commission), proposed a ten-week search for La Salle’s ships.
What happened to Robert La Salle’s ships?
La Belle was one of Robert de La Salle’s four ships when he explored the Gulf of Mexico with the ill-fated mission of starting a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1685. La Belle was wrecked in present-day Matagorda Bay the following year, dooming La Salle’s Texas colony to failure.
Is the La Belle in Matagorda Bay?
It was this cannon with its unique design that convinced archaeologists that the ship they had discovered submerged in the mud of Matagorda Bay was indeed La Belle. This artifact is also part of the second La Belle story told in the exhibition— that of the ship’s historic excavation and groundbreaking preservation treatments.
How did the men travel on the La Salle expedition?
The bulk of the men traveled with La Salle in canoes, while the La Belle followed further off the coast. Several of the men, including the captain of the La Belle, Canil Maraud, died on this expedition from eating prickly pear.
How many men did La Salle take with him to the Mississippi?
La Salle took 20 men with him to travel overland to reach the Mississippi, leaving Pierre Tessier, the former second in command of the La Belle, in charge of the ship.
