Jean Nicolet was the first documented exploration of Wisconsin by French explorers. He landed near the Bay of Green Bay and met with leaders of the local Ho-Chunk Nation. Sent by Samuel De Champlain to broker peace in hopes of expanding French fur trade further west. Tune in to learn more about Jean Nicolet and his place in Wisconsin history.

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Sources:

“Arrival of the First Europeans.” Wisconsin Historical Society, August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS388.

Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) and Nicolet, 1634. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/amerbegin/contact/text6/hochunk.pdf.

“Ho-Chunk History.” Milwaukee Public Museum. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-150.

“Jean Nicolet.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Nicolet.

“Nicolet, Jean 1598-1642.” Wisconsin Historical Society, August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1665.