(Note: date of death given in original as "after July 26, 1801.") soldier, fur trader, "Father of Wisconsin," b. Mackinac, Mich. His father, Agustin, was an Indian trader of French extraction and his mother was the sister of the head chief of the Ottawas. He was educated by Jesuit missionaries. A bold, resourceful leader, loved and respected by the Indians, he held military office under the French, English, and American governments. Langlade's relationship to the Ottawas and his great prestige as a soldier were valuable assets when he and his father established a trading post at Green Bay about 1745. In 1755, at the outbreak of the French and Indian War, Langlade led warriors of the western tribes to Fort Duquesne and is credited with a major role in Braddock's defeat. During the war he also fought at Crown Point, Lake Champlain, Fort William Henry, and on the Plains of Abraham. He was made second in command at Mackinac in 1757, surrendered the post to the British in 1761, and transferred his allegiance to them in 1763. When, despite his warnings, Fort Mackinac was surprised during Pontiac's conspiracy, Langlade was able to persuade the Indians to spare many of the survivors of the massacre. About 1764 Langlade moved permanently to Green Bay. By founding and then settling at this post, he established his claim to the title of "Father of Wisconsin." He led Indian reinforcements to the aid of the British during the Revolutionary War and, at the conclusion of the war, returned to Green Bay and resumed his role as the leading personage of the district. Dict. Amer. Biog.; Parkman Club Papers, 1: 205-223 (1896); P. V. Lawson, Bravest of the Brave (Menasha, Wis., 1904); WPA MS.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Charles Michel Monet de Langlade Papers for details.

View Langlade's memoir at Wisconsin Historical Collections.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]