Quebec Settlement

Timeline

1. 1608Where the St. Lawrence River narrows · Quebec ProvinceSamuel de Champlain led 28 French colonists to build a wooden fortress and warehouses at a narrowing of the St. Lawrence River (Algonquin "Kebec," meaning "where the river narrows"), forming the core outpost of New France and controlling a key inland waterway of North America.
2. 1609–1630Quebec and the St. Lawrence River valley · St. Lawrence River valleyChamplain formed military and trade alliances with the Huron (Wendat) and Algonquin peoples, built an extensive fur trade network centered on Quebec, explored deep into the North American interior, and fought his first armed clash with the Iroquois in 1609, shaping the colonial political landscape for decades to come.
3. 1627–1663Quebec City · Quebec ProvinceAfter the Company of One Hundred was founded in 1627, Quebec formally became the administrative and commercial core of the colony of New France. In 1663 Louis XIV converted New France into a royal colony, further consolidating Quebec City's status as the most important city of French North America.