Robert Cavelier de La Salle was a 17th century French explorer born in 1643 in France. He explored the Great Lakes region of North America with the goal of finding a western route to China. In 1682, he claimed the entire Mississippi River basin for France, naming it Louisiana. Though he failed to find a route to China, he successfully mapped the Mississippi River Valley and Gulf Coast regions between Canada and Mexico with the support of the King of France.