Samuel De Champlain French Influence

Why does Canada have so much French influence? Where did it come from and how? Aren’t we part of the British Commonwealth? These are all questions that I asked myself before learning about Samuel de Champlain and his influence on both France and Canada. Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer (cartographer, geographer, etc.) who journeyed across North America from 1603 until his death in 1635 (Ritchie, 2016; “Samuel de Champlain”, 2004; Wikipedia, 2016). He is often labeled as the Father of New France (or Quebec) because he sailed to Canada 400 years ago and established a French colony. His involvement in Canada is often considered part of the reason why the nation even has independence today. In this essay, you will read about the various historical, scientific, and cultural

At a time when the British were colonizing much of the New World, the French decided that it would be beneficial for them to also start colonizing it which was a prime reason that Champlain was sent on his expedition. The scientific aspect of his expedition also played a large role in his expedition as it determined whether he was able to make his expedition work. The last and most likely the most important factor that influenced Champlain’s journey is the cultural aspect of it which was sparked from the desire of Europeans who wanted beaver furs (Wilson, 2016). Based on these factors, I would say that Champlain was an extremely successful explorer. He was able to colonize parts of the New World while remaining friendly with the native peoples of modern day Quebec. He also proved to be a successful navigator as he was able to make the journey across the Atlantic more than twenty times. Samuel de Champlain shaped much of what is now Canadian history and is no doubt one of the most influential explorers to have lived during the Age of