Samuel de Champlain

            Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer and navigator who mapped most of the northeastern part of the America's. Champlain discovered the lake named after him, Lake Champlain, which is located on the border of New York and Vermond. In 1603, Champlain rode with Francois Grave Du Pont's on his boat to the America's. They sailed up the St. Lawrence River, the Saguenay River and they also explored the Gaspe Peninsula. In 1603 he returned to France only to return to Canada in 1604 on Pierre de Mont's ship. From 1604-1607, he sailed around and mapped most of the coast from Nova Scotia down the coast to Cape Cod. He also mapped Massachusettes and Rhosde Island. In 1608, alongside 32 colonists, Champlain tried to colonized Quebec in order to establish it as a fur trading center; however, only nine colonists survived the winter in Quebec. Champlain was able to befriend the Huron Indians and help them fight the Iroquois. During that time was when he discovered, Lake Champlain. Champlain then returned to France again and after a French-British peace treaty in 1632, Champlain returned to Quebec as its governor in 1633. Champlain died from a stroke on Dec. 25, 1635.