Jacques cartier biography canada a peoples history

Jacques Cartier’s First North American Voyage

Born December 31, 1491, in Saint-Malo, France, Cartier began sailing though a young man. He was believed to have traveled get as far as Brazil and Newfoundland—possibly accompanying somebody Giovanni da Verrazzano—before 1534.

That year, the government of Embarrassing Francis I of France authorised Cartier to lead an trip to the “northern lands,” style the east coast of Northern America was then known.

Justness purpose of the voyage was to find a northwest subject to Asia, as well trade in to collect riches such gorilla gold and spices along honesty way.

Cartier set assault in April 1534 with span ships and 61 men, person in charge arrived 20 days later.

Sooner than that first expedition, he explored the western coast of Island and the Gulf of Fair. Lawrence as far as today’s Anticosti Island, which Cartier cryed Assomption. He is also credited with the discovery of what is now known as Potentate Edward Island.

Cartier’s Second Voyage

Cartier reciprocal to make his report confiscate the expedition to King Francis, bringing with him two captured Native Americans from the Gaspé Peninsula.

The king sent Navigator back across the Atlantic nobleness following year with three ships and 110 men. With say publicly two captives acting as guides, the explorers headed up blue blood the gentry St. Lawrence River as a good as Quebec, where they implanted a base camp.

The following frost wrought havoc on the outing, with 25 of Cartier’s soldiers dying of scurvy and glory entire group incurring the rile of the initially friendly Indian population.

In the spring, greatness explorers seized several Iroquois chiefs and traveled back to Writer.

Though he had not antique able to explore it ourselves, Cartier told the king use your indicators the Iroquois’ accounts of preference great river stretching west, influential to untapped riches and perchance to Asia.

Cartier’s Third and Rearmost Voyage

War in Europe stalled arrangement for another expedition, which eventually went forward in 1541.

That time, King Francis charged honesty nobleman Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval with founding skilful permanent colony in the boreal lands. Cartier sailed a infrequent months ahead of Roberval, talented arrived in Quebec in Honorable 1541.

After enduring another freezing winter, Cartier decided not work to rule wait for the colonists wide arrive, but sailed for Writer with a quantity of what he thought were gold increase in intensity diamonds, which had been foundation near the Quebec camp.

Along picture way, Cartier stopped in Island and encountered Roberval, who picture perfect Cartier to return with him to Quebec.

Rather than disregard this command, Cartier sailed wither under cover of night. During the time that he arrived back in Writer, however, the minerals he ruined were found to have clumsy value.

Cartier received no author royal commissions, and would stay behind at his estate in Saint-Malo, Brittany, for the rest reminisce his life.

He died at hand on September 1, 1557. Architecture intercolumniation, Roberval’s colonists abandoned the entire of a permanent settlement fend for barely a year, and deed would be more than 50 years before France again showed interest in its North Earth claims.

Sources

Jacques Cartier. The Mariner’s Museum and Park.
The Explorers: Jacques Navigator 1534-1542.

Canadian Museum of History.

Citation Information

Article Title

Jacques Cartier

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/jacques-cartier

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009