When the French Were Here
Champlain Quadricentennial
Samuel de Champlain, A Life
Champlain’s Early Life
About 1570, Samuel Champlain was born in the walled town of Brouage, near Rochefort on the Atlantic coast of France. He was a commoner, the son of a ship’s captain. He was not entitled by birth to use the particle “de” before his surname. That was reserved for hereditary nobles. Champlain would earn the honorary title by his exploits on dangerous voyages of exploration.
Little is known about his early years in the seaport of Brouage, for centuries the principle gold trading port of France. He learned to be a skilled draftsman and mapmaker. Undoubtedly, he learned his navigational skills on voyages with his father and an uncle, who owned ships.
Wars over religion between Catholics and Protestants were wracking Europe during Champlain’s youth. He was probably baptized a Huguenot. He joined the army of the Protestant Prince Henry of Navarre. When Henry converted to Catholicism to be recognized by all the French as their king in 1594, Champlain probably converted, too.
For the next three years, Champlain served in the royal army. He fought in Brittany against Spanish Catholic forces. He became a quartermaster, an aide-de-camp to the sergeant-at-arms and then was promoted to sergeant-at-arms of the King’s forces.
In 1598, after peace was declared, Champlain sailed with his uncle, Guillaume Allene, to Cadiz in Spain. The next year, King Philip III of Spain commissioned Champlain to explore and map the Caribbean.
