| ca.
1660 |
Born in Gascony, France of noble family ca.1660; and an at early age he enters the French army and rises quickly to the rank of captain. |
| 1691 |
He receives a grant of land in North America |
| 1694-1699 |
French Commandant at Mackinaw 1694-1699 |
| 1701 July 24 |
The ministries of Louis XIV want to establish a settlement on the southern shore of Lake Huron. Cadillac receives the commission and selects the site of the present city of Detroit, Michigan with 50 soldiers, 50 colonists, and 2 priests. They have made the voyage from Quebec in bark canoes in 49 days. Based on Iberville and BienvilleÀs explorations, missions in the Illinois territory and the establishment of Fort Pontchartrain by Cadillac near present day Detroit, Louisiana becomes a province of France including most of the waters drained by the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers. |
| 1704 |
He is tried at Quebec for official misconduct, but is acquitted and will govern at Detroit for several years. He then returns to France, where he becomes associated with Antoine Crozat, Marquis de Chatel in mercantile pursuits, and when the latter is granted a monoply of the Louisiana trade, he appoints Cadillac governor. |
| 1712 Sept. 14 |
When the grant to Crozat is made, Bienville is named as "commander of the Mississippi and its tributaries," or Lt.-Governor, and is second in command to Cadillac. |
| 1713 March 17 |
Cadillac arrives at Mobile and it is not long until the
same traits of character that had involved him in trouble in Detroit began
to manifest themselves in Louisiana. He has been instructed to seek gold
and silver, which were believed to exist in bountiful quantities in Louisiana,
and wastes much time in a vain search for the precious metals. He refuses
to listen to or cooperate with Bienville,
who has been with the colony from its beginning, Cadillac soon grows jealous of Bienville's popularity and sends him on an expedition against the Natchez Indians, who had murdered some Frenchmen near their village (now Natchez , Miss.) By arbitrary actions Cadillac alienates the Indian tribes with whom Bienville had established friendly relations. He writes complaining letters. Cadillac's notion of government is to have a large and well disciplined army so he could command the respect of the inhabitants and the Indians by force. He has little regard for their material welfare. Bienville builds Fort Rosalie, leaves it in charge of an officer named Pailloux, and returns to Mobile to find that Cadillac has been removed and L'Epinay appointed to succeed him |
| 1716 Summer |
Cadillac is recalled to France. |
| ca. 1720 |
Cadillac dies in France. |