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| LakeChamplainvermont.com |
Lake
Champlain Vermont is named after the French explorer Samuel de Champlain who
first saw the lake while on an expedition in 1609.
In the 18th
and 19th centuries the lake was important as a commercial waterway and also had
significant military importance. In fact the Battle of Lake Champlain Vermont
(also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh) was the last British invasion of the
northern United States during the War of 1812. The British were defeated
denying them any territorial claims when the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending
the war in 1814.
Lake
Champlain Vermont has been connected to the Erie Canal via the Champlain Canal
since the Erie Canal’s opening in September of 1823, the same day as the
opening of the Erie Canal from Rochester on Lake Ontario to Albany. It also
connects to the St. Lawrence River via the Richelieu River and the Chambly
Canal.
Today, Lake
Champlain Vermont is a major destination for recreational boating, fishing,
site seeing, swimming and more.