Champlain, Samuel de

Samuel de (1570-1635), a French soldier and explorer. He was born in France and died at Quebec. He served under the French flag in the West Indies and Mexico. In 1603 he began the exploration of the St. Lawrence. In 1608 he founded Quebec, and in the following year discovered the lake which bears his name. He spent his life in the service of France, fighting the Iroquois, fortifying Quebec, locating settlers, and developing the fur trade of New France.