author
Jacques Cartier
1491–1557
A bold French navigator whose voyages along the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River helped shape Europe's early understanding of northeastern North America. His expeditions opened the way for later French claims in Canada, even though the riches and route to Asia he hoped to find never appeared.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Saint-Malo, Brittany, in 1491, Jacques Cartier became one of the best-known French explorers of the 16th century. King Francis I sent him west in search of wealth and a passage to Asia, but Cartier is remembered above all for three voyages to North America between 1534 and 1542.
On those journeys, he explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence and traveled up the St. Lawrence River, reaching important Indigenous settlements including Stadacona and Hochelaga. He also helped spread the name "Canada," drawn from an Iroquoian word he heard in the region. His reports and maps gave France a much clearer picture of the lands and waterways inland from the Atlantic coast.
Cartier did not found a lasting colony, and one later settlement attempt ended badly. Even so, his travels laid important groundwork for New France and secured his place in the history of exploration. He died near Saint-Malo in 1557.