Jacques cartier early life...
Jacques Cartier’s First North American Voyage
Born December 31, , in Saint-Malo, France, Cartier began sailing as a young man.
Jacques cartier fun facts
He was believed to have traveled to Brazil and Newfoundland—possibly accompanying explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano—before
That year, the government of King Francis I of France commissioned Cartier to lead an expedition to the “northern lands,” as the east coast of North America was then known.
The purpose of the voyage was to find a northwest passage to Asia, as well as to collect riches such as gold and spices along the way.
Did you know? In addition to his exploration of the St. Lawrence region, Jacques Cartier is credited with giving Canada its name.
He reportedly misused the Iroquois word kanata (meaning village or settlement) to refer to the entire region around what is now Quebec City; it was later extended to the entire country.
Cartier set sail in April with two ships and 61 men, and arrived 20 days later.
During that first expedition, he exp