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Primary sourceBook1652-1684 (manuscript); published later

Voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson, 1652-1684

Pierre-Esprit Radisson · 1652-1684 (manuscript); published later

Radisson's own first-person account of his captivity among the Mohawks, travels and fur trading, transcribed from his original manuscripts.

This is Radisson's own first-person written account of his travels and captivity, the core primary record of his life.

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Full text (public-domain edition)

About this source

What it is

This book collects Radisson's own narratives of his experiences among North American Indigenous peoples between 1652 and 1684. The text was transcribed from original manuscripts held in the Bodleian Library and the British Museum, and published with an introduction by Gideon D. Scull for the Prince Society.

Why it matters

Radisson wrote these accounts himself, apparently without expecting them to be published, which the editors argue makes them authentic and trustworthy. They are a key primary source for understanding his captivity, his travels, and the beginnings of the Hudson's Bay Company fur trade.

Look closer

  • Why might a text written without intent to publish be considered more reliable by historians?
  • What can we learn about Radisson's own point of view from reading his own words rather than someone else's account of him?
  • What might be missing from a personal narrative written by someone who was both an adventurer and a trader?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pierre-Esprit Radisson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Book

Primary source

Radisson's narratives of the 1682–1683 and 1684 voyages to Hudson Bay

Pierre-Esprit Radisson · 1684–1685

Black and white pen-and-ink drawing of a snowy winter scene. On the left, tipis and figures, including a man in a fur-trimmed robe and several wolves. On the right, a bearded European man in a hat and long coat raises an arm toward a group of people; a dog stands near him. Snow-laden evergreen trees frame the scene.Painting

Secondary source

Arrival of Radisson in an Indian camp 1660

Charles William Jefferys · 1942 (depicting 1660)

Front cover of a dark olive-brown cloth-bound book with a central gold embossed seal reading 'University of Upper Canada', showing two figures beside a staff with a serpent. A library barcode label at the top left reads 'University of St. Michael's College' with the number 31761061195574.Book

Primary source

Jesuit Relations, Relation of 1659–1660

Jesuit missionaries of New France (ed. Jérôme Lalemant) · 1660

Painting of a large birchbark canoe on a calm lake lined with lily pads and reeds, carrying a standing European-dressed man in a long coat and about eight paddlers, some with feathered headdresses. Dark pine forest lines the far shore under a pale sky, with the scene reflected in the water.Painting

Secondary source

Radisson and Groseilliers

Frederic Remington · 1905

Chouart et Radisson: odyssée de deux Canadiens-françaisBook

Secondary source

Chouart et Radisson: odyssée de deux Canadiens-français

N.-E. Dionne · 1910

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