Samuel de Champlain

1. Samuel de Champlain 1570?-1635 By: Bruce

2. Samuel de Champlain was a French seaman who served in the Spanish navy. He was born in France in about 1567. When he explored in 1603, he represented France. Champlain died in 1635.

3. Champlain’s Route

4. Were Champlain’s voyages successful? Champlain made several voyages to the New World. On his first voyage in 1603, he went to North America and discovered that the French could make a fortune in fur trading here. The following year he returned to the New World in order to Christianize the native people, to trade for furs, and to find a northerly route to the Orient. In 1608 he returned to America and sailed up the St. Lawrence River. Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers as far as Montreal. Champlain mapped coasts and rivers around the St. Lawrence, founded a French colony on Nova Scotia, and began the Quebec colony. Champlain never found a passage to the Pacific.

5. In January 1599, Champlain sailed a ship for the West Indies, and during the course of two and a half years, he visited many of the islands. He landed at Vera Cruz, and he went inland as far as the city of Mexico. He returned by way of the Panama Canal where he thought of a plan for a ship-canal across the isthmus. He returned to Spain in March 1601. A record of this voyage, with views and charts, was written by him.

6. Champlain’s Problems • Champlain had to spend the winter in a dirty hut. • He had a confrontation resulting in two dead Iroquois chiefs. • Champlain brought trouble to the French settlers because of his trip to Lake Champlain.

7. The purpose of Champlain’s voyage was to find a colony. He sailed on March 15, 1603. His destination was North America. He did this to strengthen France’s hold of North America.

8. Interesting Facts • Champlain was called “Father of Canada” because in his explorations he claimed much of that land for France. • He wanted to find a passage through or around America, but he never did.

9. The End