La Salle and the French in Texas (CEC)

Spanish-French L8

In this 8th Lesson in our Texas History Course, we will be exploring French settlement into present day Texas and the effects it had the Spanish interests in Texas. We will discuss French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, the territory he explored, and the hardships of the La Salle Colony. Ultimately French exploration into Texas sparked renewed interest in Spanish colonization into the region, helping shape the Texas we know today.

Learning Objectives for Lesson 8

• Learn about the life and career of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
• Understand the particulars of his failed colony in Texas including the role his ships, including La Belle, played
• Learn about the interplay between French and Spanish interests in Texas and the impact it had on the lives of the people who lived at the time
• Get to know about the lives and hardships of the survivors of La Salles colony
• Know how this effort by the French spurred a renewed Spanish interest in Texas