François Gravé Du Pont
Encyclopedia
François Gravé said Du Pont (or Le Pont, Pontgravé...), was a French navigator (captain on the sea and on the "Big River of Canada"
), an early fur trader and explorer in the New World
.
Gravé Du Pont is known to have traded furs in the New France
, since maybe 1580, surely before 1599, reaching Trois-Rivières
in that year. In 1600, he and Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit
founded a fur trading post at Tadoussac
.
In 1603 he returned there, with the two Montagnais Indians
having lived in France for the last year, and accompanied by a new observer, Samuel de Champlain
. They met with Begourat
and Anadabijou, chiefs of the Montagnais Innu
, who summered in the Tadoussac area, and made a strong alliance with them and their nation. That summer, Du Pont went with Champlain exploring the Saint Lawrence River
up to the Mont Royal (like Jacques Cartier
did in 1535), after which he resumed fur trading, this time for Aymar de Chaste, the new monopoly holder.
In 1604, Gravé Du Pont was in the service of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, the new holder of the trading rights. They went, with men only, in Acadia
to establish there a French settlement, with Champlain still an observer. In 1605, Du Pont was involved, along with Champlain, relocating the de Mons colony to Port-Royal
from Île-Saint-Croix.
From 1608 to 1629, Du Pont returned to the Saint Lawrence River
. He was present in 1608, helping, when Champlain founded, at Quebec City
, the other French de Mons colony in America.
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
), an early fur trader and explorer in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
.
Gravé Du Pont is known to have traded furs in the New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, since maybe 1580, surely before 1599, reaching Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
in that year. In 1600, he and Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit
Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit
Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit was a French naval and military captain and a lieutenant of New France.Chauvin, along with François Gravé Du Pont, obtained a fur trading monopoly for New France in 1599 from Henri IV. Although this was seriously amended in 1600, the two built a fort at Tadoussac...
founded a fur trading post at Tadoussac
Tadoussac, Quebec
Tadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...
.
In 1603 he returned there, with the two Montagnais Indians
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
having lived in France for the last year, and accompanied by a new observer, Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
. They met with Begourat
Begourat
Begourat was a chief of the Montagnais Indians whose summer home was at Tadoussac.It was at Tadoussac that summer that Begourat met with François Gravé Du Pont and Samuel de Champlain. He was preparing to lead a war-party against the Iroquois in the Richelieu River area...
and Anadabijou, chiefs of the Montagnais Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
, who summered in the Tadoussac area, and made a strong alliance with them and their nation. That summer, Du Pont went with Champlain exploring the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
up to the Mont Royal (like Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
did in 1535), after which he resumed fur trading, this time for Aymar de Chaste, the new monopoly holder.
In 1604, Gravé Du Pont was in the service of Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, the new holder of the trading rights. They went, with men only, in Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
to establish there a French settlement, with Champlain still an observer. In 1605, Du Pont was involved, along with Champlain, relocating the de Mons colony to Port-Royal
Habitation at Port-Royal
The Habitation at Port-Royal was the first successful French settlement of New France in North America, and is presently known as Port-Royal National Historic Site, a National Historic Site located on the northern side of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada...
from Île-Saint-Croix.
From 1608 to 1629, Du Pont returned to the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. He was present in 1608, helping, when Champlain founded, at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, the other French de Mons colony in America.