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Jacques Cartier - Explorer (1491
- 1557) |
Jacques Cartier was a French Explorer who made
three expeditions to Canada and gave the land
its name. Having been commissioned by the French
King, Francis I, he claimed the land for France.
He explored the St. Lawrence River, survived
extreme winters and scurvy, and met the local
Iroquoians. He took several Iroquoians back
to France.
This page details facts about Jacques Cartier's
life and the events that shaped his history.
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Jacques Cartier the Explorer
- Fun Facts for Kids ! |
Jacques Cartier Fact
1: |
Jacques Cartier was born on 31st December
1491 in the port of St. Malo on the coast of Brittany, France.
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Jacques Cartier Fact
2: |
Little is known of his early life, however
in May 1520 Jacques Cartier married Catherine des Granches
whose father, Jacques des Granches, was a constable of St.
Malo. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
3: |
It’s believed that Jacques Cartier, who
lived in Dieppe, acquired his skills as a mariner while
accompanying another of Dieppe’s occupants, Giovanni da
Verrazzano, on his expeditions to the Americas. Giovanni
da Verrazzano was Italian however he sailed for the French
King, Francis I, under the French flag. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
4: |
The Bishop of St. Malo, Jean le Veneur,
introduced Jacques Cartier to King Francis I and on 19th
March 1534 King Francis I commissioned him to discover lands
and islands where gold and other precious items would be
found. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
5: |
Setting out on 20th April 1534 with two
ships and a crew of 61, Jacques Cartier headed for Newfoundland,
where he arrived twenty days later. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
6: |
Jacques Cartier sailed around the present
day Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Magdalen Islands and then
on to Prince Edward Island. He moved on to Chaleur Bay where,
on 7th July 1534, he met and traded with some Mi’kmaq Indians. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
7: |
Jacques Cartier next stopped at Gaspe
Bay where there were many Iroquois from the local village
Stadacona (Modern day Quebec). The initial encounter between
the two parties was friendly and the mood was good. However,
relations soured when, on 24th July, he had a thirty foot
cross erected at Pointe-Penouille claiming the area for
the King of France. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
8: |
On 25th July Jacques Cartier left the
area and headed for St. Malo, France, where he arrived on
5th September. On board his ship were Domagaya and Taignoagny,
two sons of Donnacona the local Chief. It isn’t clear how
they came to be aboard as some believe that they willingly
accompanied him to France, while others believe that they
were kidnapped. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
9: |
On May 19th 1535 Jacques Cartier set
off on a second voyage to Canada. This time he commanded
a fleet of three ships, the Grande Hermine, the Petite Hermine
and the Emerillon. Both Domagaya and Taignoagny, accompanied
him on this expedition. They had told him of the St. Lawrence
River and the ‘Kingdom of Saguenay’ which was believed to
be full of treasure. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
10: |
By July 26th the small fleet had arrived
and began exploring the area. On August 10th 1535, St. Lawrence’s
day, Jacques Cartier gave a small bay the name ‘St. Lawrence’.
In later years cartographers applied the name to the river. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
11: |
Jacques Cartier sailed to Stadacona before
moving on to the St. Charles River where he set up a headquarters.
Cartier boarded the Emerillon and, leaving the other ships,
he resumed his exploration. Continuing up the St. Lawrence
River, he arrived in Hochelaga (modern day Montreal) on
2nd October. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
12: |
Rapids prevented Jacques Cartier from
traveling any further up the river, so he returned to his
headquarters on the St. Charles River. As winter was arriving,
and despite a downturn in relations with the Iroquoians,
he decided it was too late to return to France so prepared
to spend the winter in Stadacona. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
13: |
In Mid November 1535 the ships became
trapped in ice, and a month later an outbreak of scurvy
affected both the Iroquoians and the expedition members,
with fatalities in both camps. After a while Jacques
Cartier learned of a treatment from the Iroquoians.
The treatment, made from the bark of the annedda tree,
proved to be an effective cure. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
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On 3rd May 1536 Jacques Cartier erected
a cross on the site of their winter camp. On 6th May
he set off for France, taking with him the local Chief
Donnaconna and a few other Iroquoians. He arrived back
in St. Malo on 16th July 1536. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
15: |
On 17th October 1540 King Francis
I ordered Jacques Cartier to return to Canada to set
up a colony. Cartier, who was to have been Captain General,
became Chief Navigator to Jean-François de La Roque
de Roberval who had been placed in command of the expedition. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
16: |
On 23rd May 1541, authorized by de
Roberval, Jacques Cartier left for Canada ahead of the
others who were waiting for supplies. He travelled with
five ships and approximately 1500 people. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
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Three months later Cartier arrived
at Stadacona. The Iroquoians that had accompanied him
back to France had all died apart from one young girl.
He admitted that Chief Donnaconna had died but explained
away the absence of the remaining Iroquoians by saying
that they had married and remained in France, living
in a grand manner and having no desire to return. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
18: |
It was soon clear that Jacques Cartier
and his expedition were no longer welcome in Stadacona
so they moved to the foot of what is now known as Cap
Rouge and established a settlement called Charlesbourg
Royal. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
19: |
It’s unclear what happened over the
winter of 1541 – 1542, but whatever it was led to Jacques
Cartier, and the surviving members of the expedition,
abandoning the settlement in June 1542. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
20: |
On his return journey Jacques Cartier
came across de Roberval, who wanted him to accompany
him back to the settlement. Having no desire to do so,
Cartier sailed away under the cover of darkness and
arrived back at St. Malo in September. |
Jacques Cartier Fact
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Jacques Cartier named the territory
around the St. Lawrence River ‘Canada’. This name was
taken from the Huron-Iroquois word ‘Kanata’ meaning
settlement or village. |
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Jacques Cartier Fact
22:
Jacques Cartier never returned to
Canada, he spent the rest of his life in St. Malo where
he died on 1st September 1557. The cause of his death
is believed to be typhus although there is no hard evidence.
Jacques Cartier Fact
23:
After a rough winter and an outbreak
of scurvy de Roberval abandoned Charlesbourg Royal and
returned to France in June 1543.
Jacques Cartier Fact
24:
On August 18 2006 an announcement
by Jean Charest, the Quebec Premier, confirmed that
the precise location of Charlesbourg Royal had been
found by archaeologists. |
Jacques Cartier the
Explorer (1491 - 1557) Fun Facts Info for Kids ! |
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