USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The 17th century French shipwreck La Belle is one of the most significant stories in early Texas history. It was on this ship that explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, set sail for the Mississippi River in 1684 to claim new territory for France.

Detailed explanation-2: -La Belle is considered to be one of the most important shipwrecks ever found in North America. It was one of four ships under the command of the famed explorer La Salle, and the 300 settlers on board the ships were to colonize the Gulf Coast area and expand French influence in the New World.

Detailed explanation-3: -In 1686, La Belle, the one remaining expedition ship, wrecked in a storm and sank to the muddy bottom of Matagorda Bay where it rested undisturbed for over 300 years.

Detailed explanation-4: -La Salle’s doomed expedition was beset by problems from its outset, but the final nail in the coffin was the sinking of La Belle, the last ship he had, in 12 feet of water in Matagorda Bay along the Texas coast. For three centuries, the ship remained mired in muck within 1, 000 feet of the Intracoastal Waterway.