The French connection was to begin in 1682 when Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claimed for France a huge swath of territory radiating from the Mississippi.
Had Rene Robert Cavelier not claimed for France, then the connection is thought to have never happened.
mnli hypothesis: Had Rene Robert Cavelier not claimed for France, then the connection is thought to have never happened. premise: The French connection was to begin in 1682 when Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claimed for France a huge swath of territory radiating from the Mississippi.