He was born about 1567 in Brouage, France, a seaport on the Atlantic coast. While little is known of his childhood, he stated that at a young age he developed an interest in navigation and “a love of the high seas.” Some sources claim that he made his first ocean voyage as a teenager.
What was Samuel de Champlain’s early life like?
Why is Samuel de Champlain significant?
He was key to French expansion in the New World. Known as the “Father of New France,” Champlain founded Quebec (1608), one of the oldest cities in what is now Canada, and consolidated French colonies. He also made important explorations of what is now northern New York, the Ottawa River, and the eastern Great Lakes.
