Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America

In this sweeping, enthralling biography, acclaimed historian David Hackett Fischer brings to life the remarkable Samuel de Champlain -- soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist, and Father of New France. Born on France's Atlantic coast, Champlain grew to manhood in a country riven by religious warfare. The historical record is unclear on whether Champlain was baptized Protestant or Catholic, but he fought in France's religious wars for the man who would become Henri IV, one of France's greatest kings, and like Henri, he was religiously tolerant in an age of murderous sectarianism. Champlain was also a brilliant navigator. He went to sea as a boy and over time acquired the skills that allowed him to make twenty-seven Atlantic crossings without losing a ship. But we remember Champlain mainly as a great explorer. On foot and by ship and canoe, he traveled through what are now six Canadian provinces and five American states. Over more than thirty years he founded, colonized, and administered French settlements in North America. Sailing frequently between France and Canada, he maneuvered through court intrigue in Paris and negotiated among more than a dozen Indian nations in North America to establish New France. Champlain had early support from Henri IV and later Louis XIII, but the Queen Regent Marie de Medici and Cardinal Richelieu opposed his efforts. Despite much resistance and many defeats, Champlain, by his astonishing dedication and stamina, finally established France's New World colony. He tried constantly to maintain peace among Indian nations that were sometimes at war with one another, but when he had to, he took up arms and forcefully imposed a new balance of power, proving himself a formidable strategist and warrior. Throughout his three decades in North America, Champlain remained committed to a remarkable vision, a Grand Design for France's colony. He encouraged intermarriage among the French colonists and the natives, and he insisted on tolerance for Protestants. He was a visionary leader, especially when compared to his English and Spanish contemporaries -- a man who dreamed of humanity and peace in a world of cruelty and violence. This superb biography, the first in decades, is as dramatic and exciting as the life it portrays. Deeply researched, it is illustrated throughout with many contemporary images and maps, including several drawn by Champlain himself. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION A LEADER IN THE MAKING A CHILD OF BROUAGE TWO MEN OF SAINTONGE HENRI IV AND CHAMPLAIN A SOLDIER IN BRITTANY, 1594-98 A SPY IN NEW SPAIN, 1599-1601 EXPLORER OF ACADIA GEOGRAPHER IN THE LOUVRE, 1602 TADOUSSAC, 1603 SAINTE-CROIX, 1604-05 NORUMBEGA, 1604-06 PORT-ROYAL, 1605-07 FOUNDER OF QUEBEC QUEBEC, 1608-09 IROQUOIA, 1609-10 MARIE DE MEDICI, 1610-11 TRANSATLANTIC TRIALS, 1611-15 HURONIA, 1615-16 BUILDER OF NEW FRANCE THE COURT OF LOUIS XIII, 1616-19 A FRAMEWORK FOR NEW FRANCE, 1620-24 THE CARDINAL’S RING, 1625-27 NEW FRANCE LOST, 1628-29 NEW FRANCE REGAINED. 1629-32 FATHER OF FRENCH CANADA REALIZING THE DREAM THE PEOPLING OF QUEBEC, 1632-35 THE CRADLE OF ACADIA, 1632-35 TROIS-RIVIÈRES, 1634-35 CHAMPLAIN’S LAST LABOR, 1635 CONCLUSION MEMORIES OF CHAMPLAIN APPENDIXES CHAMPLAIN’S BIRTH DATE CHAMPLAIN’S VOYAGES CHAMPLAIN’S BRIEF DISCOURS CHAMPLAIN’S PUBLISHED WRITINGS CHAMPLAIN’S TRAITTÉ DE LA MARINE An Essay on Leadership ANOTHER SELF-PORTRAIT? CHAMPLAIN’S SUPERIORS Viceroys and Generals of New France TRADING COMPANIES AND MONOPOLIES IN NEW FRANCE, 1588-1635 INDIAN NATIONS IN CHAMPLAIN’S WORLD, 1603-35 THE BATTLE WITH THE MOHAWK IN 1609 Where Did It Happen? THE ATTACK ON THE IROQUOIS FORT IN 1615 Which Fort? What Nation? CHAMPLAIN’S FAVORED FIREARM The Arquebuse à Rouet CHAMPLAIN’S SHIPS AND BOATS CHAMPLAIN’S WEIGHTS AND MEASURES CHAMPLAIN’S MONEY CHAMPLAIN’S CALENDARS NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY MAP SOURCES ART CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY MAP SOURCES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX Introduction: In search of Champlain -- A leader in the making -- Explorer of Acadia -- Founder of Quebec -- Builder of New France -- Father of French Canada -- Conclusion: Champlain's legacy: a leader's long reach -- Memories of Champlain -- Appendices Traces the story of Quebec's founder while explaining his influential perspectives about peaceful colonialism, in a profile that also evaluates his contributions as a soldier, mariner, and cultural diplomat