Portrait of Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix
Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix was born in October 1682 in Saint-Quentin (France). This Jesuit priest and teacher was charged by the Regent of the Kingdom of France, the Duc dOrléans, to organize an expedition in order to evaluate the French colonys potential in North America. This project took him twenty-five years, from his arrival in Quebec in 1720 until 1744. Considered the first historian of New France, his travel log is still a preeminent reference, especially with regards to Native life and culture.