Samuel de Champlain
He was born in 1567 in Bourage, France. He was a Protestant who converted to Catholicism and fought In the religious war for King Henry VII. Samuel learned skills of sailing, navigation, and cartography at a young age. Champlain became a famous explorer and is known because he founded Quebec and a lot of Canada, which was New France at the time. In 1603 Champlain was invited by Francis Grave Du Point to sail and visit the River of Canada. He traveled to many places. They include; Montreal, Quebec, St.
Lawrence River, and Tols-Rlvleres. While he was there he realized this land could be colonized and used in favor of France. He was fascinated by the Great Lakes, which he never knew about. Champlain was very curious about the people living there, the Huron Indians. After one year he sailed back to France. When Samuel got home he begged the king and queen of France to sponsor another voyage to Canada so he could stay longer and learn more. He also wanted to search Acadia, which we know now today as Nova Scotia. There was belief that Acadia ad mines of riches such as gold and diamonds.
Many also believed that if you went to Acadia you could find a new passageway to get to North America sooner. The king and queen agreed and let him sall along with Lieutenant-General Pierre de Monts as a geographer. After they sailed awhile on the caravel they landed docked at St. Croix River. It was winter and they had stayed in a very cold area. Most of their men died of scurvy, a disease where a body can’t get enough vitamin C for awhile. However. some of them died from other diseases like serious cases of influenza and smallpox.
They knew that they had to go somewhere warmer before everyone of their crew died. One year later the crew, what was left of them, used astrolabe and a compass to reach there way to Acadia. It wasnt everything he thought it would be. He never found the gold and diamond mines. However, he still found more and more places and learned a lot more about the country. He found out about Niagara Falls. He was so impressed he started to search more south to learn about America. Champlain was searching in the Cape Cod area and went to Marthas Vineyard.
Even though he wasnt the first person to find Marthas Vineyard, two English men were, he took great notes and important facts about the land. He discovered more of Marthas Vineyard than them too. Samuel was named Lieutenant In 1608. He was able to be the leader on his next voyages. He stayed in New France for eleven years. The land was colonized and they made peace with the Indians. They signed a treaty stating that if the Huron Indians let the French have goods, Ilke fur, and stay on the land that the French would protect them and help them in war.
They ran across one problem. England wanted the land too, even though the French have been there most of the time. In 1627, when Champlain returned from France after writing about his voyages, England went to war with the French for Canada. 1629 the English made the French surrender and leave. In 1632 the French came back and signed a treaty with the English that gave to be caused by something related to a stroke. He is known as one of the most famous explorers and has been remembered since the day he died,
