European Exploration

Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, was probably the first European to enter the region. In 1609 he led an expedition south from Canada through the lake that was later named for him. He laid claim to the lake and the territory east and south of it for France. However, it was not until nearly 60 years later that the French attempted settlement. In 1666 a fort and religious shrine were built on Isle La Motte in the northern part of Lake Champlain, but the settlement was later abandoned. The first permanent white settlement was made in 1724 by English colonists from Massachusetts. They established Fort Dummer, near what is now Brattleboro. In 1731 the French built a fort at Crown Point in New York and a small village opposite it on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain.

During the French and Indian War (1754-63), the Champlain Valley, which was sparsely settled, was invaded by both British and French troops. Following its defeat by Great Britain, France relinquished all of its interests in the region.