Biography

Born into a seafaring family on the Atlantic coast of France, Champlain crossed the Atlantic over twenty times. His voyages took him up the St. Lawrence River to the future site of Montreal; to Quebec City, which he founded in 1608; to the coasts of what would become New England and Canada's Maritime provinces; and inland to Georgian Bay. These extensive coastal and interior explorations enabled France to make solid claims to much of North America at a time when the English were just beginning to settle Virginia. Champlain also cultivated strong friendships with many Native Americans, including the Montagnais, the Algonkians, and the Hurons, with whom he joined forces to fight their enemy, the Iroquois. He recorded his explorations in such works as Des Sauvages (1603), Les Voyages (1613), Voyages et Descouvertures (1619), and Les Voyages de la Nouvelle France (1632), his final and largest publication.

Explorations

If Champlain is remembered as a forefather of the French settlement of what is now Quebec, he is also remembered as one of the most careful and voluminous writers about the exploration of the New World. Compared to Harriot's Brief and True Report, Champlain's Voyages (1613) is loaded with detail and seems much more modern, scientific, and professional. The interactions which he describes with native peoples are complex, and he is careful to distinguish among the various groups whom he and his men encounter.

1. How do Champlain's close observations of Native Americans affect the progress and well-being of his expedition? If we have here a narrative of encounter, what respect does he show for the intelligence and strategy of the peoples encountering him?

2. Champlain shows special interest in harbors. Why? At what points in his account do we discern the intentions of his exploration?

Other sites to consult:

• Champlain's 1607 map. Champlain designed and drew this map with the intention of presenting it to the king of France. The place names and coast lines correspond closely to Champlain's Voyages. (Collection of the Library of Congress.)
• Promotion and Possession: New France. Part of the Cultural Readings: Colonization and Print in the Americas online exhibition hosted by the University of Pennsylvania library. Includes an overview of French efforts in the New World, with a special focus on Champlain. Annotated with numerous images.
• Virtual Museum of New France. A good source for background on the European exploration of New France. Offers a great deal of information on Champlain, including an extensive exhibition called Living in Canada at the Time of Champlain.