Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons

Pierre Dugua, sieur de Mons (* 1558 in Royan, † 1628 probably in the château d' Ardennes, in Fléac -sur- Seugne, Saintonge ) was a French explorer, merchant and founder of the first permanent settlement in New France.

He was the son of Guy de Gua and Claire Gournard and married Judith Chesnel; The marriage remained childless. He described himself as a Calvinist and fought on the side of Henry IV in the Huguenot wars in France. Later, the king rewarded him for his outstanding services with an annual alimony of 1,200 crowns and the Governor of the City of Pons in the Saintogne.

New France

Towards the end of the 16th century, France showed a strong interest in Canada to fill its empty coffers with the colonization and exploitation of the country. This function was transferred to appropriate people whose job it was to build settlements in New France and to supply in the first period. They got in return the exclusive and lucrative trading rights with the Indians. De Monts had apparently previously made ​​several trips to Canada, one of them in 1600 as a member of the expedition of Pierre de Chauvin Tonnetuit to Tadoussac. Until then, all the French settlement attempts had failed. 1603 de Monts got the order to found settlements in New France on behalf of the king and received the trade monopoly, with the hopes focused primarily on the fur trade. He was appointed lieutenant-general of Acadia and other areas of New France, was to bring 60 settlers there and convert the Indians to Christianity every year.

De Monts hastened wealthy French merchants to attract as members of a company whose start-up capital on February 8, 1604 was approximately 90,000 livres. With this money de Monts fitted out two ships and recruited the 79 members of the expedition, especially artisans, such as builders, carpenters and masons, to soldiers, vagabonds, several nobles and two priests. The most prominent participants was Samuel de Champlain, who was to serve the expedition as geographer and cartographer.

St. Croix Iceland

On March 7, 1604 left the first ship under Captain Timothy Le Havre, on March 10, the second under Captain Morel de Monts on board. They arrived on May 8, the coast of Nova Scotia at Cape la have. From there, Samuel de Champlain explored the unknown coast of Nova Scotia, and then turned westward to the coast of New Brunswick. Here he reached the Bay of Fundy, and discovered on June 24, the mouth of the Saint John River. Finally Looking for a easily defensible space for the colonists found on June 26, an island in the Passamaquoddy Bay, Ile -Ste- Croix, where they founded a settlement. After a plan of Champlain a few dozen houses and a chapel were built, which were surrounded by palisades. Outside the palisades put you the first wheat fields in New France. The winter began on October 6, with the first snow, on its severity, the colonists were not prepared. Soon the fresh vegetables and cereals were consumed and the inhabitants were mainly dependent on cured meat as food. At the end of the winter half were about died; cause of death as scurvy has been demonstrated bone remains. In March 1605 Passamaquoddy Indians supplied the starving survivors with fresh meat.

Port Royal

De Mont decided to leave the island and move to the Bay of Fundy, where Samuel de Champlain, the settlement of Port Royal, now Annapolis Royal founded. Previously, the houses had been dismantled and brought to the new location by ship. De Monts himself had to return to France because his trading company was in financial difficulties.

In September 1605 de Monts arrived in France and soon realized that he could perceive the interests of his company better from there. On May 13, 1606 he sent a new ship to Acadia, to supply the fledgling colony at Port Royal with food and new colonists. Francois Gravé, the person in charge of Port Royal, reported a good harvest, but had last winter again lost 12 men by scurvy.

In 1607 King Henry recanted conferred on de Mont trade monopoly, whose financial situation was becoming increasingly difficult due to complaints from other merchants. The main cause was the extent of the illegal fur trade, by him at least eight shiploads had escaped furs alone in 1604. These illegal traders had, in contrast to De Monts, neither bear any cost for the crossing and supply the colonists.

Québec

The king extended De Monts monopoly for one year to 1608 on the promise to go to build a trading post on the St. Lawrence River and to open up land for French colonies. De Monts procured new money and fitted out another expedition, which consisted of three ships. The first was for Port Royal, the second for the lower St. Lawrence River and the third with Samuel de Champlain on board was intended for the founding of Québec. Quebec was a trading post and also the starting point for exploring the areas further west. The next year, de Monts monopoly was not renewed, and the fur trade was now open to all.

By the fall of 1611 de Monts sent regularly ships to supply the colonists and exchange goods for the fur trade to New France. The trading post in Quebec developed well, and new tribes were won for trade. The exploration of the West was making progress. However, the financial cost in de Monts companies was high, and his partners wanted to Quebec after fresh financial losses give up. De Monts found new partners and continued his activities in the fur trade and the exploration of the country to 1617 is continuing, but without again seeing New France.

Henry IV appointed him in 1610 as governor of Pons, a post which he held until 1617. He died in 1628 at his castle in Fleac -sur- Seugne in the Ardennes.

Place in History

Despite his great services to the exploration and colonization of Canada Pierre Dugua de Monts has seldom get its rightful place in the history books because he was only allowed Champlain's research cruises in the New World. It was de Monts merit that the first Europeans to live in New France and were able to feed themselves. In addition he made to the New World in the French population better known, he published a collection of mammals and birds, of Indian portraits, artefacts and curios. These objects were tested by the renowned humanist Nicolas de Peirese. His depictions are therefore one of the first descriptions of animals and humans in North America.