Samuel de Champlain 

    Samuel de Champlain was born in Brouage, France probably in 1570.  His father was a captain who taught Samuel all he knew about sailing. At 20 years old he joined the French Army and served in it for eight years.  In 1599 he boarded a ship bound for America!  Samuel wanted to explore for France, and he  did, he was going to explore some pretty exciting places. When he later found Canada, he named it New France, where beavers were found!

      From 1599-1601 Samuel made alot trips to the Americas. His destinations included Mexico,Panama, the West Indies, and many other places like Quebec. He also discovered the Quebec and Montreal tribes. When he finally returned to France,he wrote a book about where he had traveled and the beauties of each place. King Henry the IV of France liked Samuel's book and asked him to survey a place called "New France" (early Canada) for a colony.

    Starting in 1603, Samuel explore New France and became the first person to write about  Niagra Falls, a beautiful waterfall in Canada,and Lake Champlain. He carefully made friends with the Algonquain and Huron tribes because he knew that strong friendships would mean less of a chance of the Natives attacking the settlements.When the Algonquain was at war with the Iroquios,Samuel helped them and won the tribe's everlasting friendship.

     When Samuel finally settled and established a colony in New France, he was nicknamed "The Father of New France". He died on Christmas day 1635.

                         U.S.A Weekly studies vol.5 issue 1 week 6   Harcourt Horizons textbook, New York 2003. http:// go grolier.com/