Samuel de Champlain

  • 1574

    Samuel de Champlain was born

    Samuel de Champlain was born
    According to his baptismal certificate, Samuel de Champlain was born in 1574 in Brouage, a small town on the west coast of France.
  • First Voyages

    First Voyages
    From 1601 to 1603, Champlain was a geographer for King Henry IV. Thin in 1603, he joined François Gravé Du Pont's expedition to Canada. The group sailed up the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers and explored the Gaspé Peninsula, ending the voyage in Montreal. Although Champlain had no official role or title on the expedition, he proved his commitment by making spot-on predictions about the lakes and other geographic features of the region.
  • Landing in Nova Scotia

    Landing in Nova Scotia
    The following year, Champlain was chosen to be a geographer for Lieutenant-General Pierre Du Gua de Monts on a journey to Acadia. In May, they landed on the southeast coast of what is today known as Nova Scotia and Champlain was asked to choose a location for a temporary settlement. He set his sights on a small island in the St. Croix River, and the team built a fort and spent the upcoming winter there.
  • Establishing Quebec

    Establishing Quebec
    In 1608, Champlain was named lieutenant to de Monts, and the set off on another voyage up the St. Lawrence. Arriving in June of 1608, they constructed a fort in what is now known as Quebec City. Soon, Quebec would become the French fur trading hub.
  • The Battle Against The Iroquois

    The Battle Against The Iroquois
    Champlain traveled into the interior of Canada accompanied by the Hurons, a tribe of Native Americans with whom he had friendly relations. Champlain and the French aided the Hurons attack on the Iroquois, however, they lost and Champlain was hit in the knee with an arrow. Unable to walk, he lived with the Hurons that winter, and during his stay, he composed one of the earliest and most detailed accounts of Native American life.
  • Later Years

    Later Years
    Upon his return to France, Champlain was hit with a barrage of lawsuits and was therefore unable to return to Quebec. He spent his time writing the stories of his voyages, complete with illustrations and maps. When he was reappointed as lieutenant, he returned to Canada with his wife whom he was thirty years older. In 1627, Louis XIII's chief minister, Cardinal de Richelieu, formed the Company of 100 Associates to rule New France, placing Champlain in charge.
  • Attacking The Fort

    Attacking The Fort
    Things didn't go very smoothly for Champlain. Eager to capitalize on the profitable fur trade in the region, Charels I of England authorized an expedition under David Kirke to uproot the French. They attacked the fort and captured supply ships, cutting off the colony's necessities. Champlain surrendered on July 19, 1629, and returned to France.
  • Death

    Death
    Champlain spent his time writing about his travels until, in 1632, the British and the French signed the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, returning Quebec to the French. Champlain returned to be the governor, but by this time his health was failing, forcing him to retire in 1633. Samuel de Champlain died in Quebec on Christmas Day in 1635.