Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635) was a French discoverer who mapped out large parts of the north east of North America and founded a colony in Quebec. Champlain also discovered the lake named after him (Lake Champlain on the border between the state of New York and Vermont.) and he was also an important person in establishingt and administrating the French colonies in what is today Canada.

In 1603 Champlain sailed with Francois Grave Du Pont's expedition to North America. They sailed up the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay River. He returned to France the same year and decided to find a north west passage to China. He then returned to Canada in 1604 with Pierre de Mont's expedition. From 1604-1607 he sailed around and mapped up the most of the Nova Scotia coast, and Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard (Massachusetts), and also Rhode Island. After a short period in France he returned again to Canada and helped to establish a colony in Port Royal, Nova Scotia (1605). In 1608 Champlain lead 32 colonists to Quebec to establish Quebec as a fur trade center. Only 9 of the colonists survived the first hard winter in Quebec but more people came the following summer.

In 1609 Champlain became a friend of the Huron people and helped them to fight against the tribes of the Iroquois society. This fight led to 150 years of bitterness and enmity between the Iroquois and the Frenchmen. It was during this adventure he discovered Lake Champlain. In 1613 he again sailed up the St. Lawrence River and discovered the Ottawa River. Two years later he made the same journey and came into what now is the north part of the state of New York and the eastern parts of the Great Lakes (Lake Huron and Lake Ontario).

Champlain lived in Quebec for many years until the Englis attacked and took the Fort there in July 1629. He then again returned to France. After the French and British peace in 1632, Quebec again belonged to France and Champlain returned as a Governor in 1633. He died from a heart attack the 25th of December 1635. He is considered by historians as the founder of Canada.