Jacques Cartier was born in 1491. He died in 1557. His birthplace was Saint Malo in Brittany, France. When he grew up to be an explorer, France was the country he represented. Cartier explored from 1524 to 1542 and had three major voyages. His ship was the Grande Hermione. He had two goals: to go to the new world and look for gold and riches, and the other was to find a short route to India.
Jacques Cartier was well educated. He studied cartography, navigation, astronomy, mathematics, and seamanship in his early years. Cartier got the skills of an experienced seaman in Dieppe. Dieppe was home of Giovanni Da Verrazzaro. Giovanni Da Verrazzaro was an Italian who sailed under the French Flag for King Francois the first of France. He supposedly sailed with Cartier on a voyage. Jean Le Veneur, the bishop of Saint Malo, told King Francois the First of Jacques Cartier. He asked the king to send him on a voyage of discovery to the new world. He wanted Cartier to spread word about Catholic religion to the Natives. This took place in 1532.
In 1534 King Francois the first sent Cartier to find the new world in search of riches and large amounts of gold to be found. The Grande Hermione was the small, 60 ton ship that Cartier chose. Another (unknown name) ship accompanied the Grande Hermione. Both carried 30 men.
Cartier lead his first voyage from Saint Malo to North America in 1534. He reached Newfoundland and explored the coast of Labrador sailing in the St. Lawrence river going inland. He named Canada “Kanata” meaning village of settlement on the Huron-Iroquois language. The voyage lasted 137 days.
In 1535 May 26, Cartier took up the offer from the king to to get another commission to return to Canada and takes another voyage to Canada. He took 3 ships and 110 men. Cartier traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and explored a bit of land in Montreal before going to Quebec with friendly neighbors nearby. Cartier lost 25 men to a winter and with scurvy.
In 1536, Cartier safely returned to Saint Malo. The French Council decided to make plans to colonize in Canada. In 1540 Jean Francois De La Rocque Sieur De Roberval (or Roberval) was told by the king to lead an expedition. The expedition was to take charge of the colonization. In 1541, Jacques Cartier was commanded to go with Roberval and have Roberval follow him. But when Cartier got to Canada, Roberval never got there. Cartier waited through a terrible, cold storm. In 1542, Cartier decided to return to France.
As Cartier returned to France, He met up with Roberval. Cartier warned him not to go to Canada because of the bad weather.But Roberval ignored him and went anyway. Roberval returned on June 6, 1543. In 1547 Cartier published an account about his voyages. On September 1, 1557, Jacques Cartier passed away because of old age. He died at age 66.
Cartier did not reach his goal to get to India or to find riches and gold in Canada. He did gain from King Francis the First great farms and a home in Brittany, and a settlement was made in Canada. People still speak French in some parts of Canada. He was already famous before he left for his voyages, and he gained riches throughout his voyages.
Bibliography
Elizabethan Era
The American School in Japan
“Looking For China But He found Canada.” Richard’s Topical Encyclopedia 1939
Reference:
- www.elizabethan.org.ub/jacques-cartier.htm, 2010
- http//www.asig.ac.jpbracu.htm, 2010
