August 24, 2007

In 1673, seven Frenchmen in two canoes floated down the Mississippi River into what is now Arkansas. This small expedition, led by Father Jacques Marquette and explorer Louis Joliet, was the first European entry into Arkansas since the Hernando de Soto expedition almost 131 years before. During their journey, they gathered information from several Native American groups, including the Quapaw, whom Father Marquette is shown here addressing near the mouth of the Arkansas River.