France Claims the Great Lakes

On this day in history, June 14, 1671 the French staged one of the most dramatic land grabs in North American history. In a symbolic and theatrical display at Sault Ste. Marie. A gathering at a remote outpost at the crossroads of the Great Lakes, France formally laid claim to an enormous swath of territory. The event, known as The Pageant of the Sault, was a vivid spectacle of colonial ambition, religion, diplomacy, and empire-building.

Simon François Daumont, Sieur de St. Lusson, a French officer whose name survives primarily due to this singular event orchestrated the pageant.. Backed by orders from the French court and the powerful minister Colbert, St. Lusson’s mission was to assert dominion over the vast interior lands of North America on behalf of King Louis XIV — the “Sun King” himself.

Not a Solo Show

A notable ensemble cast flanked St. Lusson. This included the experienced Jesuit Father Claude-Jean Allouez and three other missionaries, Louis Jolliet (yes, that Jolliet), and Nicolas Perrot, a seasoned translator and trader recently returned from the Green Bay area. Their combined goal was to impress Indigenous leaders and formally bind the land to French control — even if those Indigenous groups didn’t entirely grasp (or agree to) what was happening.

The site of the ceremony was no accident. Sault Ste. Marie was already a hub for Jesuit missions and Indigenous diplomacy. The location at the confluence of the upper Great Lakes gave it symbolic and strategic weight. In the spring of 1671, runners and emissaries from the French winter camp on Manitoulin Island invited tribal leaders to the event. By mid-June, representatives from at least fourteen tribes — including the Potawatomi, Menominee, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), and Sauk — had gathered.

St. Lusson, dressed in dazzling military regalia, ascended a rise where a wooden cross and the royal arms of France stood planted. With sword raised high and sod clutched in hand, he proclaimed France’s claim to all the lands “discovered or to be discovered” between the Northern, Western, and Southern seas. Essentially he claimed the whole interior of North America. Musket salutes rang out. Jesuits sang hymns. At the end of the ceremony a massive bonfire was lit. All French participants signed documents. Father Allouez translated the significance of the moment to the Native attendees.

Three Accounts of this Grand Performance Survive

  1. The official state record, preserved in both French and English archives.
  2. A more personal version written by Nicolas Perrot. He highlighted his winter stay on Manitoulin Island (where locals snared over 2,400 moose!). His version also spoke of his recruitment efforts among the tribes.
  3. A reflective 1892 commencement address at the University of Michigan. Historian Justin Winsor gave the address. His speech romanticized the pageant as an imperial spectacle.

Though the event was rich in ceremony and symbolism, its long-term impact was less glowing. In the coming decade France’s hold would be challenged. Eventually dissolving into British and then American control. Still, for a moment, the French crown claimed an empire with pomp, pride, and pageantry.

And just like that — with sword, song, and sod — a continent was claimed.