Which two men founded the Hudson's Bay Company?

• A. Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers and Pierre Esprit Radisson
• B. John Cabot and Jacques Cartier
• C. Samuel de Champlain and Louis Joliet
• D. Henry Hudson and Giovanni da Verrazzano

Answer: (D)

Two French-Canadian explorers, Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers and Pierre-Esprit Radisson, were the ones who conceived the venture to exploit the fur-rich lands around Hudson Bay and brought the idea to English investors. Their proposal led to the Hudson’s Bay Company being granted a royal charter in 1670, which established a formal trading monopoly in Rupert’s Land and set the foundation for the company's long dominance in the Canadian fur trade. Henry Hudson and Giovanni da Verrazzano are famous explorers from earlier eras, but they did not found the Hudson’s Bay Company.