In 1749, the French Sulpician priest, Abbé Picquet, built a mission fort, which he named Fort de La Présentation (Fort of the Presentation). It was also sometimes known as Fort La Galette. It was built at the confluence of the Oswegatchie River and the St Lawrence River in Canada. The French wanted to strengthen their alliance with the powerful Iroquois, as well as convert them to Catholicism. With increasing tensions with Great Britain, they were concerned about their thinly populated Canadian colony.