Where did they live?

Although the French made attempts to establish forts and missions along the upper Illinois River in the 1680s, the most successful settlements were made in the fertile Mississippi River valley, where Indians had lived for 12,000 years. Missionaries settled near Indian villages where they were soon joined by fur traders, soldiers, and settlers anxious to exploit the rich soil and lead deposits in the area and to establish control of this important location on the great inland waterway.

The village of Cahokia is an excellent example of such settlements.

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96