evidence: Similarly, when American missions from New England arrived to the northern banks in May 1842 and established a school in King Glass, which happened to be the commercial centre on the land for the British, American and German forces, the French established Fort d’Aumale in King Louis in 1843; a year after, the French also imported Catholic missionaries to spread French cultural influence. Throughout the next six decades, the French continued to expand their influence throughout the territory of present-day Gabon, sending explorers such as Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza to establish French authority on the upper Ogooué and the Loango coast. In 1886, Brazza incorporated the French spheres of influence under the French Congo for which he became the governor. By 1910, virtually all of Gabon has become one of the four colonies in the federation of French Equatorial Africa with little political opposition but intense friction due to the disruptions in trade, labour taxes and monopolistic concessionary companies. [...] Key Dates 1470 Portuguese make landfall in the territory of Gabon 1839 Local Mpongwe ruler agrees to concede administrative rights to the French 1910 Gabon assimilated into French Equatorial Africa.