Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers were French fur traders and explorers who are well-known for their travels in North America and their role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company.
- Early lives: Radisson's exact birth place is unknown, but was likely in the lower Rhône region of France, near Avignon. He emigrated to New France around 1651. Groseilliers was born in France in 1618 and is believed to have immigrated to New France in 1641.
- Early careers as Coureurs de Bois: Both men became coureurs de bois. Radisson was captured by the Mohawk and adopted into their tribe, learning their language and customs, which later helped him as a fur trader. Groseilliers became a lay helper at a Jesuit mission in the Huron region, where he learned the skills of a coureur des bois.
- Fur Trading: In 1659, Radisson and Groseilliers traveled west to Lake Superior, trading with various Indigenous groups. They traded European goods such as kettles, tomahawks, knives, needles, combs, paint, and beads. They returned to Quebec with a large number of furs, but were fined for trading without a license. They had heard of a "salt sea" with an abundance of furs, which they determined must be Hudson Bay, and began to seek financing for an expedition.
- Hudson's Bay Company: After being denied support from the French, Radisson and Groseilliers traveled to England where they gained the support of Prince Rupert and King Charles II. In 1670, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was established with a royal charter, granting them exclusive rights to the land surrounding Hudson Bay.
- Service with the HBC: From 1670 to 1675, Groseilliers and Radisson were employed by the Hudson's Bay Company, establishing trading posts and forts. Radisson married Mary Kirke, the daughter of one of the City investors in the HBC.
- Switching Allegiances: Both men switched their allegiance between the French and the English multiple times. They left the HBC and reentered French service in 1675. In 1681, Radisson established a fort on the Nelson River, under the French flag. They were later recruited back into English service. In 1684, Radisson sailed for the Hayes River, where he recruited Groseilliers’ son, Jean-Baptiste, into joining the HBC.
- Later years: Groseilliers refused an offer to rejoin the Hudson's Bay Company and returned to his farm at Trois-Rivières; his final fate is unknown. Radisson lived in England on an HBC pension until his death in 1710.
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