La Salle's claim, 1682: at the mouth of the Mississippi he planted a cross and read a proclamation claiming the whole river basin for Louis XIV ("Louisiana"). Claim…

SUMMARYLa Salle's claim, 1682: at the mouth of the Mississippi he planted a cross and read a proclamation claiming the whole river basin for Louis XIV ("Louisiana"). Claim by ceremony, no conquest (Doctrine of Discovery in action). French Louisiana had only a few thousand colonists and ran on alliances (e.g., Choctaw). Record.