Champlain

Samuel de Champlain sailed for the French, crossing the ocean some thirty times, and is considered the father of New France and the first governor of North America. He had a different world view than some of his time. He had seen the mistreatment of native peoples in the Caribbean by Europeans, and chose to act differently. In his interactions as a leader of Frenchmen, he treated tribes from a nation-to-nation perspective, with respect. 

In doing so, he smoothed the way for settlement.

He was also an explorer, mapping out large parts of the eastern part of the continent. An astrolabe, a navigation tool of his time, is seen here.

He would make treaties and alliances with indigenous peoples that would allow French settlement, and the legacy he left behind is a big one. His name remains on the map all over the country.

Because the French made alliances with indigenous peoples, that also came with joining their allies against their enemies. Thus began a period called the Post-Contact Wars.

This reproduction of an indigenous club can be touched. A lethal weapon when swung at an enemy.

The Post-Contact Wars came to an end with the passing of the Great Peace of Montreal Treaty, in which disputes were settled through diplomacy.

The era of New France had begun.

The new colony was slow to grow, consisting mostly of men.

800 women, known to history as les Filles du Roi, or daughters of the King, would change that, crossing the ocean, finding husbands, and starting families. 

Household goods and furniture of New France is found here.