Hello There!

Bonjour! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Samuel de Champlain of France and was born in Brouage, Saintonge, on the Bay of Biscay, in 1567.  My father was a captain of a ship, and so I received a great education on navigation. I took command of the St. Julien in 1599, and sailed for the West Indies. It took me two and a half years to visit the islands and returned through the Isthmus of Panama. In "Bref discours" I made a summary of the voyage with views and charts. Then I sail on March 15, 1603 for the king to explore territory in North America.

  (This isn’t really me, I had no authentic portraits of myself, but many people use the paintings of Michel Particelli d'Emery)

During 1604-1606, I explored the coast up to Cape Cod and make careful surveys and maps as I sailed. I returned to France with my crew in 1607. My crew and I were sent out once more, and this time I decided to form a settlement in Quebec. Here, we started building houses, sowing grain, and developing the fur trade. I also made some new native friends of the Montagnais tribe. We allied and tried to fight the Iroquois at a lake that I named after myself. On the day after, the battle began and I killed two of their chiefs and defeated them in this battle. A rival between French and our allies against the Iroquois had begun. 

(This drawing is of an Iroquois family, notice the fur there) 

In March of 1610, I returned to my homeland and brought some mechanics back to America. We started another war with the Iroquois, and this was when I was struck by an arrow. I told Du Pare to take my place as I returned to France. Back in France, I fell in love and married a Protestant woman named Helen Boulle. I persuaded Count de Soissons to take interest in the colonization project, and received funding from him. In 1612, he was appointed governor and lieutenant-general of New France, and I was appointed his lieutenant. 

After winning my new title, I send some more vessels to Canada, and sailed to explore the Ottawa River. I proved Vignaud wrong, as he had stated that it connected to the North Sea. There was no such passage. I moved westward on the Ottawa River and reached the shore of Lake Huron. After exploring Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River, I arrived at the Sorel. Here, I tried to attack a town belonging to the Iroquois, but was defeated and severely injured. After my recovery at a Huron town, I was more hopeful in the expansion of Quebec and brought my wife over to Canada. Quebec enlarges its boundaries, increased in population, and prospered. However, this didn’t go quite well when a British fleet under Sir David Kirk wanted me to surrender Quebec. 

I broke out in defiance, but soon had to surrender for the British were attacking our vessels and supplies. I became a prisoner of England and wasn’t freed until 1632. A treaty put Canada, Acadia, and Cape Breton under French control. As I returned to Quebec, I strengthened and developed the colony. I also established a fort at Richelieu Island and a college in Quebec. My years came to an end in 1635, when I was struck with paralysis and died. My short life story by valloucelery on youtube