Samuel de Champlain: Father of New France

Gratien Allaire is a professor of history at Laurentian University in
Sudbury, Ontario.

Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635) was a man who dedicated his life to
the French colonies in North America for more than 30 years. In 1603, he
travelled from France to Tadoussac as part of a fur-trading expedition,
and participated in establishing posts on the Bay of Fundy in 1604 and
in Quebec in 1608. He commanded the post and settlement (which would
become Quebec City) from 1612 to his death in 1635. Fur trade was the
main activity; support for settlement was difficult to secure. Champlain
was nevertheless a strong advocate for the development of all the
colony’s resources.

First published in French in 2003, Legaré’s biography, with its
dialogue and lively description of events, reads like a novel. Though
such an approach increases interest and makes for a good learning tool,
at the same time, it creates a false sense of historical veracity, and
young readers should be made aware of that fact.

A very useful chronology compiled by Michиle Vanasse provides a global
context for Champlain’s endeavours, with events related to Champlain
and New France listed alongside world events. Recommended.