A Century of ConflictChamplain meets the Hurons and the Iroquois

The St. Lawrence River

In 1608, Samuel de Champlain started the settlement of Quebec.

He trade with the Algonquins and Hurons for furs. This provided the money to keep New France going.

There were not enough furs in the area, so they had to go further inland.

To the south lived the Iroquois, long time enemies of the Hurons and Algonquins.

Reasons for War?

The Algonquins and Hurons controlled the fur supply.

The Iroquois only had second-rate furs, as they lived in a warmer climate

Champlain and his partner Pontgrave decided to aid their trading partners, The Algonquins and Hurons, in a war against the Iroquois.

Give two reasons why the French were allies of the Algonquins, rather than the Iroquois.

Champlain claimed he had no choice but to join the Algonquins in a fight against the Iroquois. Yet he made a choice. What was his reasoning?Refusing to Fight the Iroquois Agreeing to fight the Iroquois

The Battle

The war party set off in July.

Champlain had 2 French companions and 60 Hurons and Algonquins

Within weeks they were in the land of the Mohawks who were one of the strongest Iroquois nations.

They arrived at Ticonderoga where they heard the shouts of Mohawk warriors.

The Iroquois sent a small group to find out the plans of Champlain’s group.

Champlain’s group announced that they came to make war.

They agreed that the battle would begin the next day at dawn.

Champlain’s group won the battle

New France

Under Champlain’s leadership, the colony of New France gradually grew.

A few years after Champlain’s death in 1635, New France expanded with the founding of Montreal. (1642)

Arrival of the English The Iroquois were being pressed from the north by the French

and Algonquins and Hurons Other Aboriganal groups occupied land to the west and the

south of them. Finally a chance came when Rivals of the French arrived – The

Dutch and then the English. The English had fast-growing colonies on the Atlantic coast. They traded their goods, including guns, for furs with the

Iroquois.

Attack of HuroniaThe Iroquois decided

to attack Huronia.

In 1648, a Iroquois party found the village of St. Joseph unguarded. Many men were out hunting.

Without warning they attacked.

They destroyed St. Joseph, then moved on to the neighbouring village.

Some 700 Hurons were killed or taken prisoner.

The remaining 2300 Hurons from the 2 villages fled to the main settlement of Ste. Marie.

Map of Hurona

Much of the Hurons’ food supplies had been destroyed and many starved during the winter months.

The Iroquois struck again in 1649, killing Jesuit leaders and leaving the villages and missions in ruins.

The Huron nation had been destroyed.

Questions?If Champlain had been alive in 1650, do you think he would have regretted his decision of 1609 to attack the Iroquois? Why or Why not?

New France remained in danger for the rest of the 1600s.

The Iroquois, backed by the English, kept up the pressure.

The French, along with their Algonquin allies, replied with raids of their own.

As time went on, the struggle became one in which the French and English fought control of North America.

The Aboriginal peoples were reduced to roles of supporting players in a story of imperial conflict.

http://nfb.ca/film/samuel_de_champlain_quebec_1603