French explorers were interested in claiming the Mississippi River and having access to the Great Lakes primarily for reasons related to expansion of their territory, economic opportunities, and strategic advantages. The Mississippi River and Great Lakes region offered a vast network of waterways that was critical for travel, trade, and exploration. By controlling these routes, the French could expand their fur trade, which was highly lucrative. The waterways also offered potential access to the interior of North America and the hope of finding a passage to the Far East (Northwest Passage), facilitating further trade and exploration. The French also aimed to establish missions to convert Native peoples to Christianity and to assert territorial claims against rival European powers, especially Spain and England. The vast interior from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico represented an enormous and fertile territory claimed for France, known as Louisiana after the exploration by La Salle. Furthermore, explorers like Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored the Mississippi to understand its course and discovered it flowed to the Gulf of Mexico, which was vital knowledge for France to establish a strong presence in the region spanning from the Great Lakes to the southern river mouth. In summary, the French interest was driven by trade (especially fur), territorial control, access to strategic waterways for exploration and transport, and cultural/religious missions to Native Americans.