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Samuel de Champlain. Photo by Th茅ophile Hamel.

Top 14 Facts about Samuel de Champlain

Originally published by John K and Updated by Vanessa R. on September 2023 

Samuel de Champlain was born on 13^th August 1567 and he died on 25^th December 1635 at the age of 68.

During his life he held many titles including a chronicler, a diplomat, an ethnologist, a geographer, a French colonist and a cartographer among others.

Champlain was born into a family of sailors and under the guidance of Fran莽ois Grav茅 Du Pont he begun exploring North America in 1603.

He founded Quebec and New France in Canada on 3^rd July 1608 and did between 21 to 28 trips across the Atlantic Ocean.

The top 14 facts about Samuel de Champlain include the following.

1. Champlain Was Born in A Family of Sailors On 13^th August 1567

Hiers-Brouage. Photo by GFreihalter.

A small port town in France called Hiers-Brouage, or the port city of La Rochelle, in the French province of Aunis is where Champlain was born on 13^th August 1567.

Champlain鈥檚 parents were Antoine Champlain which is also written as “Anthoine Chappelain” in some records and Marguerite Le Roy.

He had an early exposure to sailing and learned to navigate, draw, make nautical charts, and write practical reports from his father and uncle  who were both sailors.

 During the French religious wars in Brittany, he served as a soldier in the army of King Henry IV of France.

2. He Made His First Notable Voyage with His Uncle

King Henry IV of France. Photo by Frans Pourbus the Younger.

Champlain travelled to Cardiz aboard his uncle鈥檚 ship, Saint-Julien in 1598 to transport Spanish troops and then proceeded to sail to the West Indies accompanied by a large Spanish fleet.

Together with his uncle, he had an opportunity to learn about territories that Spain controlled spanning from Mexico City to the Caribbean. 

On his return made an illustrated report to King Henry IV of France who gave him an annual pension as a reward for the report.

3. Champlain Served as A Geographer in King Henry IV鈥檚 Court

Champlain served as a geographer in King Henry IV鈥檚 court for three years as from 1601 to 1603.  

Travelling to French ports during which he learned a lot of things about North America and the fishermen he encountered, formed part of his duties as a geographer in the court of the king.

4. Champlain First Landed in North America In a Fur-trading Expedition

In an expedition led by Fran莽ois Grav茅 Du Pont, Champlain landed to North America on fur-trading expedition for the first time in his life.

Champlain became great friends with Du Pont who taught him how to deal with natives in the land as well as many things about navigation.

 He wrote an account of his travels in New France and French North America in 1603 when he returned to France.

5. Champlain Was an Administrator of New France In North America

King Louis XIII. Photo by Philippe de Champaigne.

Champlain sailed to North America numerous times and explored the Great Lakes among other areas.

He was the first explorer to write about the beautiful lakes, Ottawa River and other important areas in North America which he traveled to. 

As was his characteristic he wrote vividly describing all the areas he explored.

Champlain became an administrator of New France and stopped further exploration in 1620 under the instructions of King Louis XIII.

He has been referred to as the father of New France and up till his death in 1635, Champlain was the de facto Governor of New France.

As from 1534 to 1763 when it was ceded to Great Britain and Spain under the Treaty of Paris of 1763, New France was an area colonized by France in North America.

6. Quebec In Canada Was Founded by Champlain

Quebec City. Photo by Maksim Sokolov (maxergon.com).

 Champlain landed at the 鈥榩oint of Quebec鈥� in 1608 and created it as an area to serve as a fort.

He erected three wooden buildings each three storeys tall which marked the beginning of Quebec City.

The city currently occupies an area of more than 480 square kilometers and is now the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec. 

The three wooden buildings that Champlain built can be viewed in Old Quebec within the modern city of Quebec.

7. Champlain Mapped 鈥�Lake Champlain鈥� Which Was Later Named After Him

In a bid to build good relations with the natives in Canada, Champlain helped them in their ongoing war with their enemies who lived farther to the south called the Iroquois.

Champlain became the first European to map a large body of water in the region which was later named Lake Champlain after him as he went about looking for the Iroquois.

Champlain found the Iroquois people and as per his written account of the ensuing battle, he wrote that using just a single shot he killed two Iroquois chiefs.  

8. Champlain Married His Wife When She Was Only 12 Years of Age

Marie de Medici. Photo by Jean Morin.

After the assassination of King Henry in 1610, the throne was supposed to pass to his son but since he was too young his wife Marie de鈥� Medici took over the rulership of France.

Unfortunately, the pursuits of Champlain did not interest the new ruler of France. 

Champlain therefore married the daughter of a prominent courtier in order to access the new ruler鈥檚 court.

Surprisingly, the girl he married was 31 years younger than him and was only 12 years of age at the time her married her. Her name was Helene Boull茅.

9. Helene Boull茅 Became A Nun After Champlain鈥檚 Death

The relationship with his young wife Helene Boull茅 started off on a rough patch but as time went by it became better and better.

Champlain adopted three Montagnais girls named Faith, Hope and Charity in the winter of 1627-28 as his marriage to Helene Boull茅 was childless. 

Champlain鈥檚 wife Helene Boull茅, became a nun after he died in 1635.

10. Champlain Is an Important Figure in The History of Canada

Champlain helped establish several settlements in Canada such as the Quebec City.  He was the first explorer to make an accurate map of the Canadian coast.

Lake Champlain, Champlain Valley and Champlain Bridge are some of the many places that have been named after Champlain in modern day Canada. 

In his memory also, several monuments have been established in Canada.

Quebec today hosts a statue of Samuel de Champlain in remembrance of his exploits there.

11. He was given the title  鈥淪ieur de Champlain鈥�

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The title “Sieur de Champlain” represented Champlain’s aristocratic standing as a landowner. Champlain was given this title despite not being of noble descent because of his services as an explorer, navigator, and geographer.

This title improved his social standing and allowed him to gain the financial and logistical backing of powerful people in France for his trips.

12. He facilitated the exchange of European goods for valuable furs

In North America, the fur trade had a significant economic impact, which Champlain realised. He developed connections with Indigenous people who participated in the fur trade, such as the Algonquin and Huron, and he facilitated the transfer of important European commodities for furs. The growth of the regional economy and the economic development of New France were both significantly influenced by this commerce.

13. He documented his 鈥淰oyages鈥�

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In a collection of papers referred to as “Voyages,” Champlain documented his travels, observations, and experiences.

These texts offer insightful details on his interactions with Native Americans, his mapping efforts, and the difficulties he encountered on his journeys. The thorough descriptions of Champlain provide an insight into early European exploration of North America.

14. Champlain鈥檚 explorations spanned a vast area of North America

The explorations of Champlain covered a sizable portion of North America. He went far, taking in areas from what is now Nova Scotia along the Atlantic coast to the Great Lakes and even as far south as the region around the Mississippi River.

His explorations expanded our knowledge of the topography of the continent by taking him to a variety of locations rather than just one.