1 4 9 2 ▁under ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁European ▁expl or ers ▁began ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁interior , ▁seeking ▁fame , ▁tre asures , ▁and ▁con quest s ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁their ▁emp ires . ▁ ▁France ’ s ▁Bernard ▁de ▁la ▁Har pe ▁expl ored ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 9 , ▁in ▁the ▁era ▁when ▁France ▁was ▁establish ing ▁settlement s ▁on ▁the ▁G ulf ▁Coast . ▁They ▁had ▁founded ▁New ▁Orleans ▁the ▁year ▁before . ▁De ▁la ▁Har pe ’ s ▁expl oration ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁valley ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁seek ▁trade ▁with ▁the ▁native ▁pe op les ▁and ▁also ▁a ▁route ▁to ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁After ▁this ▁time ▁France ▁claimed ▁this ▁region ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁as ▁La ▁Louis iane . ▁It ▁expl ored ▁Canada ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁from ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁coast ▁along ▁the ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁River ▁valley , ▁where ▁it ▁founded ▁New ▁France . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁that ▁became ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁from ▁France ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁Louisiana ▁P urchase ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁American ▁expl orer ▁to ▁set ▁foot ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁county ▁was ▁Major ▁Stephen ▁H . ▁Long ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁by ▁Thomas