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Jacques Cartier was a French-Breton explorer who was the first to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and its river shores. He named the region The Country of Canadas, referring to the two significant settlements at Stadacona and Hochelaga. He did not discover present-day Canada Country but his discoveries during his first voyage led to its name.
See the fact file below for more information on Jacques Cartier, or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Jacques Cartier worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Early Life
- On December 31, 1491, he was born in Port Saint-Malo on the northeast coast of Brittany to Jamet Cartier and Geseline Jansart.
- There was little information about his childhood, but it was suggested that he learned navigational skills and seafaring at a young age because Saint-Malo was a fishing town.
- He made several minor crossings of the Atlantic Ocean and even sailed to Brazil.
- In May 1520, he married Catherine des Granches, a member of a prominent aristocratic family. His social standing then rose.
- Many scholars believe he accompanied Giovanni da Verrazzano on his voyages to the New World in 1524 and 1528 in search of land, resources, and wealth.
Voyages to the New World
First Voyage
- In 1534, Saint-Malo bishop Jean Le Veneur introduced him to King Francis I, praising his abilities as a possible leader in exploring new lands in the New World. The king was the one who invited Giovanni da Verrazzano to an exploration of the eastern coast of North America back in 1524.
- European explorers also set out on voyages to the New World in the hopes of claiming the land for themselves. The king, too, desired to pursue the same goal of discovering a Northwest Passage to Asia and chose him to lead this expedition.
- On April 20, 1534, he set sail as the king had commissioned him, expecting to discover areas rich in treasure.
- On May 10, he began exploring Newfoundland, including the following areas:
- Belle Isle Strait
- The Labrador Peninsula’s southern shore
- The Gulf of St. Lawrence coastlines of Gaspe and North Shore
- The Island of Prince Edward
- Island of Anticosti
- The Magdalene Islands
- When they anchored at Iles aux Oiseaux, his crew slaughtered approximately 1000 birds, most of which were great auks.
- During a trade, he first met the aboriginal peoples of “Canada” on the north side of Chaleur Bay.
- On July 24, he met another group of St. Lawrence Iroquoians on the shores of Gaspe Bay and placed a cross to claim the land for France.
- He documented the name Canada as the territory on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. The name was from the word katana, or village, from the Huron-Iroquois language.
- He used the name to describe Stadacona and its inhabitants, whom he referred to as Canadiens.
- The name Canada refers to the small French colony on the St. Lawrence River, while Canadiens refers to the French colonists who settled there.
- The cross stood 10 meters tall and was inscribed with the words “Long Live the King of France,” indicating that it belonged to King Francis I.
- He kidnapped the two sons of Iroquoian chief Donnacona and told him they were captured near Gaspe, while Cartier and his crew called it Honguedo.
- The chief agreed that his sons could be taken but had to return with European goods.
- He returned to France in September 1534, sure that he had reached an Asian land.
Second Voyage
- On May 19, 1535, he embarked on a second voyage with three ships and a crew of 110 men. He was still holding the two Iroquoian captives.
- He sailed upriver from St. Lawrence to the capital of Stadacona, which Chief Donnacona ruled.
- He anchored his main ships in a harbor and used a small ship to reach Hochelaga on October 2, 1535. Over a thousand people lived in Hochelaga, occasionally gathering at the river’s edge to greet the arriving Frenchmen.
- He believed the river for the Northwest Passage and claimed that rapids prevented them from sailing to China, so he named the town La Chine, or Lachine, after the French word for China.
- He returned to Stadacona after spending two days with the people of Hochelaga.
- Between 1535 and 1536, he spent the winter in Stadacona. His crew fortified their fort to prepare for the winter, stacking firewood and salting down fish meat.
- Around 50 of his crew died frozen at the mouth of the St. Charles River due to the river’s 1.8-meter-thick ice.
- Domagaya, one of Donnacona’s sons, taught them the cure that saved the expedition. The so-called annedda tree was used to make a concoction to cure scurvy. This enabled 85 Frenchmen to make it through the winter and continue the expedition.
- In early May 1536, he kidnapped Chief Donnacona before returning to France to personally tell the chief the story of the Kingdom of Saguenay further north, which he believed was full of gold, rubies, and other treasures.
- They arrived in Saint-Malo on July 15, 1536, and the second voyage proved to be the most profitable so far.
Third Voyage
- On October 17, 1540, the king sent him back to Canada as a captain-general for a colonization project.
- However, on January 15, 1541, he was replaced as the first lieutenant general of French Canada by the king’s friend, Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, replaced him as the first lieutenant general of French Canada.
- He was the expedition’s chief navigator while Roberval led it.
- He sailed ahead of Roberval, who was on the lookout for artillery and supplies.
- On May 23, 1541, he embarked with five ships on his third voyage under the commission. The discovery of the Kingdom of Saguenay and its treasures took precedence over the passage to the Orient.
- When they anchored at Stadacona, he met the Iroquoians but decided not to settle there due to the threat posed by the natives. Instead, he sailed a few kilometers and arrived in Cap-Rogue, Quebec.
- They built a fortified settlement called Charlesbourg-Royal for protection, while another fort was built on the cliff from which the settlement could be seen.
- The colonists began collecting ores, mistakenly believing they were diamonds and gold. On September 2, two of his ships returned to France with some of the minerals, but they were discovered to be quartz, crystals, and iron pyrites, giving rise to the French expression “faux comme Les diamants du Canada” or “as false as Canadian diamonds.”
- On September 7, he began his search for Saguenay but was forced to turn back at Hochelaga due to bad weather and rapids.
- He returned to the Charlesbourg-Royal immediately after learning that the Iroquoians were no longer friendly with the Frenchmen and were ready to attack such sailors.
- The natives attacked and killed approximately 35 settlers, forcing the Frenchmen to retreat behind their fortifications. He was well aware that he lacked the staff to defend their settlement as well as search for the kingdom.
- In June 1542, he sailed for France and met Roberval off the coast of Newfoundland.
- The lieutenant general insisted on accompanying him back to the hunt for Saguenay, but he continued on his way back to France.
- In October, he arrived in France. Because his return constituted a failure on his voyage, he received no further royal charters.
- Roberval assumed command of the Charlesbourg-Royal. However, the settlement was abandoned after the Frenchmen became miserable due to disease and violent natives.
Death and Legacy
- After his last voyage, he spent the rest of his life in Saint-Malo, where he served as an interpreter in Portuguese.
- On September 1, 1557, he died at age 65 during a typhus epidemic, but his cause of death was unknown. He was buried in Saint-Malo Cathedral.
- The subsequent European settlement in Canada occurred in 1605 during Samuel Champlain‘s attempt to establish Port Royal in present-day Victoria Beach.
- During his first voyage, his location on St. Lawrence opened up the most direct route for Europeans to enter North America.
- During his voyages, he could produce an accurate estimate of Canada’s resources.
- He was also the first to formally recognize the New World as a separate land mass from Europe and Asia.
- During the 19th Century, the name began to refer to the colonies on the Great Lakes and later to the entire British North America.
Jacques Cartier Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Jacques Cartier across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Jacques Cartier worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Jacques Cartier, who was a French-Breton explorer who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas”, after the Iroquois names for the two big settlements he saw at Stadacona (Quebec City) and at Hochelaga (Montreal Island).
Complete List of Included Worksheets
- Mapping His Route
- Jacques Cartier Crossword
- Fact or Myth?
- The Charlesbourg-Royal
- Cartier Coloring Page
- Diary from Canada
- Cartier Acrostic
- Jacques Cartier Wordsearch
- Cartier: Discoverer of Canada?
- Design a Postage Stamp
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Jacques Cartier famous for?
Jacques Cartier was a French-Breton explorer who was the first to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and its river shores. He named the region The Country of Canadas, referring to the two significant settlements at Stadacona and Hochelaga.
What lands did Jacques Cartier discover?
During a trade, he first met the aboriginal peoples of “Canada” on the north side of Chaleur Bay. On July 24, he met another group of St. Lawrence Iroquoians on the shores of Gaspe Bay and placed a cross to claim the land for France.
What was Jacques Cartier’s failure?
Because his return constituted a failure on his voyage, he received no further royal charters.
What did Jacques Cartier eat?
Between 1535 and 1536, he spent the winter in Stadacona. His crew fortified their fort to prepare for the winter, stacking firewood and salting down fish meat.
Who named Canada Why?
He did not discover present-day Canada Country but his discoveries during his first voyage led to its name. He documented the name Canada as the territory on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. The name was from the word katana, or village, from the Huron-Iroquois language. He used the name to describe Stadacona and its inhabitants, whom he referred to as Canadiens.
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