Samuel de Champlain was born in France in 1567. He began exploring the coast of America in 1603. On his third voyage in 1608 he founded the first permanent French colony at Quebec.

Champlain was appointed lieutenant of Canada in 1612 and made some investigations of the interior. During the Anglo-French war, Quebec was seized by the English, but he successfully negotiated its return to French sovereignty. Samuel de Champlain died in 1635.