Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer, mapmaker, and leader who helped establish a lasting French presence in North America. In the early 1600s, he explored the St. Lawrence River and nearby regions, recording careful observations about the land and its peoples. In 1608 he founded Quebec City, which became the heart of New France and a base for trade and exploration. Champlain built alliances with Indigenous nations, including the Wendat (Huron), and supported exchanges of knowledge, goods, and technology. His detailed maps and journals gave Europeans a clearer picture of the St. Lawrence valley and the interior waterways that linked it to the Great Lakes. Champlain also searched for a practical route to Asia across North America, a goal shared by many explorers of his time. Because he helped create a permanent settlement and guided its growth, he is often called the “Father of New France.” His work shaped French exploration for decades and influenced how the region developed.

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier was a French sea captain whose voyages in the 1530s and 1540s introduced much of eastern Canada to Europe. Sailing up the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River, he reached Indigenous communities near modern-day Quebec City and Montreal. Cartier claimed lands for France and searched for a Northwest Passage to Asia, a key goal for European powers. He carefully described the landforms, climate, and cultures he encountered, and his reports encouraged future expeditions. Cartier also helped popularize the name “Canada,” drawn from an Indigenous word meaning “village” or “settlement.” Although his attempts to establish a permanent colony did not last, his voyages mapped important waterways and opened a path for later explorers and settlers. Cartier’s journeys marked an early phase of French exploration in North America, setting the stage for future leaders who would build lasting communities and trading networks in the St. Lawrence valley.