The Military Empire

Towards The Great Lakes

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New Garrisons in the West

The truce with the Foxes enabled the French to continue building their settlements along the Great Lakes. Although deprived of their garrisons during the War of Spanish Succession, these settlements continued to prosper. Michilimackinac remained the hub of the fur trade in the Northwest. Living there were a few missionaries, some voyageurs, some coureurs de bois, and a few settlers who had gone there from the banks of the St. Lawrence. Even before the end of hostilities with the Foxes, French settlements had been established as far away as La Baie (today Green Bay, Wisconsin). In addition, several settlements were already taking root in the Illinois (basically the southern part of the present state of Illinois and eastern Missouri), with the main centre being the village of Kaskaskia.

Beginning in 1715, after the interruption caused by the War of Spanish Succession, work resumed on the defensive system around the Great Lakes. Once again, garrisons were detached to various posts, which had been practically deserted after 1698, and most notably, 20 soldiers were dispatched to Michilimackinac. In order to control the route between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi, Fort Miami (today Fort Wayne, Indiana) was built as well as another fort at Saint Joseph (Niles, Michigan).