Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de la Salle was an arrogant monk-turned-adventurer (this sounds like the start of a D&D campaign) responsible for most of the French expansion in the Great Lakes area and along the Mississippi River. Of course, as an adventurer, he's used to loss, but his final expedition was particularly plagued by shipwrecks (multiple), snake bites, prickly pear incidents, and Indigenous nations. Tough break.

Sources:

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/la-belle/the-exhibit

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/la-belle/the-exhibit/excavation-and-preservation

https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/belle/

Dr. Jim Bruseth

La Louisiane, une affaire d’État : Récits de Jean-Baptiste Minet et d’Henri Joustel, témoins de Cavelier de La Salle (1684-1687) https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/linkprocessor/plink?id=a4152ae8-adaf-349f-aab5-e1caede6c536

https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cavelier_de_la_salle_rene_robert_1E.html

Dr. Jim Bruseth. Personal Interview. 2024.

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Before betraying the burgeoning United States of America to the British for a new rank and some new digs, Benedict Arnold bought the Continental Army some much needed time to recover from the previous season of fighting during the year of 1776. A brilliant tactician, Arnold met the British on Lake Champlain at the Battle of Valcour Island -- arguably America's first naval encounter. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. Neither had a good time.

Sources:

1. 3D model of Spitfire: https://skfb.ly/oIBpu
2. LCMM.org's Spitfire
3. https://www.wamc.org/news/2024-05-09/efforts-to-raise-a-revolutionary-war-gunboat-from-lake-champlain-discussed
4. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/valcour-island
5. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/fort-ticonderoga-1775
6. https://www.americanheritage.com/benedict-arnold-aftermath-treason

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tiktok & youtube: @nautipod

gmail: thenautipod@gmail.com

Due to a series of events happening in my personal life, this week has been difficult to work on the podcast. Don't worry! This isn't permanent, and we'll be back next week with an episode on the Revolutionary War-era gunboat: The Spitfire, with Chris Sabick of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

In the meantime, check them out! Don't sweat, we'll put these links in the show notes for next week too.

3D model of the Spitfire

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Spitfire page