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Jacques Cartier

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 6, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

In 1534, France’s King Francis I authorized the navigator Jacques Cartier to lead a voyage to the New World in order to seek gold and other riches, as well as a new route to Asia. Cartier’s three expeditions along the St. Lawrence River would later enable France to lay claim to the lands that would become modern-day Canada. He gained a reputation as a skilled navigator prior to making his three famous voyages to North America.

Jacques Cartier’s First North American Voyage

Born December 31, 1491, in Saint-Malo, France, Cartier began sailing as a young man. He was believed to have traveled to Brazil and Newfoundland—possibly accompanying explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano —before 1534.

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 1534 with two ships and 61 men, and arrived 20 days later. During that first expedition, he explored the western coast of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence as far as today’s Anticosti Island, which Cartier called Assomption. He is also credited with the discovery of what is now known as Prince Edward Island.

Cartier’s Second Voyage

Cartier returned to make his report of the expedition to King Francis, bringing with him two captured Native Americans from the Gaspé Peninsula. The king sent Cartier back across the Atlantic the following year with three ships and 110 men. With the two captives acting as guides, the explorers headed up the St. Lawrence River as far as Quebec, where they established a base camp.

The following winter wrought havoc on the expedition, with 25 of Cartier’s men dying of scurvy and the entire group incurring the anger of the initially friendly Iroquois population. In the spring, the explorers seized several Iroquois chiefs and traveled back to France.

Though he had not been able to explore it himself, Cartier told the king of the Iroquois’ accounts of another great river stretching west, leading to untapped riches and possibly to Asia.

Cartier’s Third and Final Voyage

War in Europe stalled plans for another expedition, which finally went forward in 1541. This time, King Francis charged the nobleman Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval with founding a permanent colony in the northern lands. Cartier sailed a few months ahead of Roberval, and arrived in Quebec in August 1541.

After enduring another harsh winter, Cartier decided not to wait for the colonists to arrive, but sailed for France with a quantity of what he thought were gold and diamonds, which had been found near the Quebec camp.

Along the way, Cartier stopped in Newfoundland and encountered Roberval, who ordered Cartier to return with him to Quebec. Rather than obey this command, Cartier sailed away under cover of night. When he arrived back in France, however, the minerals he brought were found to have no value.

Cartier received no more royal commissions, and would remain at his estate in Saint-Malo, Brittany, for the rest of his life. He died there on September 1, 1557. Meanwhile, Roberval’s colonists abandoned the idea of a permanent settlement after barely a year, and it would be more than 50 years before France again showed interest in its North American claims.

Jacques Cartier. The Mariner’s Museum and Park . The Explorers: Jacques Cartier 1534-1542. Canadian Museum of History .

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The Ages of Exploration

Jacques cartier, age of discovery.

Quick Facts:

French navigator and explorer credited with naming Canada, exploring the St. Lawrence River, and Canadian areas that would become French territory

Name : Jacques Cartier [zhahk][kahr-tee-ey; (French) kar-tyey]

Birth/Death : December 31, 1491 - September 1, 1557

Nationality : French

Birthplace : France

Portrait of Jacques Cartier

Portrait of Jacques Cartier, French explorer who named Canada. The Mariners' Museum E133.C3 A4.

Introduction Jacques Cartier is best remembered for his exploration of parts of Canada. We even credit him with giving the country its name. Although Cartier named the land he traveled to “Canada,” the word actually comes from the Iroquois-Huron language. These natives referred to their village of Stacona as a kanata – which simply means “village” or “settlement”. 1 Cartier used this word to refer to all of the areas he explored, and soon would be used globally as more of the French came to explore the land.

Biography Early Life Jacques Cartier was born on December 31, 1491 in Saint-Malo, a port town of Brittany, France. His father was Jamet Cartier, and his mother was Geseline Jansart. 2 Almost nothing is known of his early life before his famous explorations. Saint-Malo was a fishing town in northern France. 3 So young Jacques probably learned navigational skills and seafaring early in life. Many scholars believe that Cartier took several trips across the Atlantic Ocean in his early years. Many agree that Cartier sailed on a voyage to Brazil as a young man. 4 However, there is no specific evidence to support this. In May 1519, Cartier married Catherine des Granches. Catherine came from a higher class than Cartier. 5 So when they married, Cartier’s social standing and position in society increased.

Cartier quickly became an experienced navigator and sailor. Many historians believe that Cartier joined Giovanni da Verrazzano on his voyages to the New World in 1524 and 1528. At this time, the Spanish and Portuguese were finding land, resources, and wealth in the New World. Other countries, like England and France, wanted to find new discoveries and wealth in the New World as well. So they sent out explorers to claim land for them. King Francis I of France wanted an expedition to go explore the New World for land and riches. He also wanted to find a Northwest Passage to Asia. Jacques Cartier was chosen to lead this venture.

Voyages Principal Voyage The voyage began on April 20, 1534 when Cartier departed from Saint-Malo with 2 ships and 61 men. After just 20 days of sailing, the expedition reached the area that is now modern day Newfoundland by early May. The fleet sailed north along the coastline for a short while, before turning around and heading south. Cartier continued to explore the western coastline of Newfoundland. After passing through the Strait of Belle Isle. Cartier and his fleet explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In June of 1534 he made his first major discovery when he came upon an area we know today as Prince Edward Island. 6 This is a large island that is still part of modern day Canada. After landing on Prince Edward Island, Cartier’s expedition explored the gulf and various inlets nearby in search of a passage to Asia. Failing to find the passage, they sailed onward. They explored Chaleur Bay, then headed northward. The final spot Cartier landed before returning to France was on the modern day Gaspé Peninsula. Here, they met the friendly Mimac (also spelled Mi’kmaq) natives who lived in the area, and traded furs and other items. 7 The expedition sailed around Anticosti Island before continuing out of the St. Lawrence Gulf. This made Jacques Cartier the first person to sail completely around the gulf. 8 They set sail to return home, and reached Saint-Malo, France on September 5, 1534.

After Cartier returned to France and met with King Francis, a second voyage to North America was funded. Both Cartier and the king were excited by Cartier’s findings during his first voyage and felt that his discoveries were promising. The king gave Cartier more ships and men for the voyage. They were tasked with exploring more of the mainland of the newly discovered places. Cartier and his men left France on May 19, 1535. Cartier had three ships – La Grande Hermine , La Petite Hermine , and L’Emerillon . 9 The expedition eventually reached Funk Island off of Newfoundland’s coast. On September 7, 1535, Cartier and his men reached the site of the present day city of Quebec. They stopped at a village called Stadacona, where they were greeted by the Donnaconna, chief of the Huron natives. 10 Several Huron natives went with Cartier as guides. They sailed up the St. Lawrence River, and on October 2, 1535, reached Hochelaga (now Montréal). The natives told Cartier of a place with riches called Saguenay, but it could not be reached by Cartier’s large ships. So he and his men returned to the mouth of the St. Charles River, to a fort they had previously built named Saint Croix. By November, the waterways were frozen. So Cartier and his men spent this winter here until April 1536. During winter, many of the men got sick with scurvy and died. Before returning to France, Cartier kidnapped Donnaconna and his two sons so he could tell King Francis I of the riches of Saguenay in person. May 6, 1536 Cartier set sail for France.

Subsequent Voyages Cartier was given permission to take a third voyage to find the land of Saguenay. But it would be five years before the expedition left. This time, a man named Rocque de Roberval would be in charge. Roberval’s team was to meet Cartier’s expedition in North America the following year after a settlement was begun. May 23, 1541, Cartier, with his men and five ships, left Saint Malo, France. The goal of the expedition was to establish a settlement in North America. They arrived in Stadacona on August 23, 1541, and established a settlement named “Charlesbourg-Royal” (near modern day Quebec City). They began exploring the area. Soon, Cartier and his men believed found stones that looked like diamonds and gold. However, it turned out that the diamonds were actually pieces of quartz, and the gold was iron pyrite – better known as “fool’s gold.” 11 Cartier and some of his men went back to Hochelaga. Some Huron natives then went with Cartier’s team to find Saguenay. But they never found it, so Cartier and his men returned to Charlesbourg-Royal where they spent winter. By spring, the native’s and the French relations turned hostile. The French abandoned the settlement, and left in June 1542.

Later Years and Death After leaving Charlesbourg-Royal, Cartier’s fleet met Roberval in St. John’s harbour in Newfoundland. He had with him barrels of the “diamonds” and “gold” which he would later find to be worthless. Roberval ordered Cartier and the settlers to turn around and go back to the settlement. But they refused. Cartier and the colonists slipped away one night, and headed back to Saint Malo. They reached home in October 1542. Cartier’s exploration career came to an end after his third voyage to North America. He remained in France during the last years of his life managing his estate. He died September 1, 1557 at the age of 66.

Legacy Jacques Cartier is credited with discovering and claiming the land now known as Canada for France. However, his treatment of the natives of the area was not always great. Throughout his three voyages, Cartier became the first European to explore the St. Lawrence Gulf and St. Lawrence River. Although his attempt to establish a French colony near modern day Quebec City was a failure, his discoveries led to further European exploration through the 16th and 17th centuries. The French would go on to colonize the area, and establish a rich fur trade. Several places in Canada honor him, including the Jacques Cartier Bridge that crosses the St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec. And a statue of the explorer stands at the explorer’s birthplace of Saint Malo, France. 12

• Meg Greene, Jacques Cartier: Navigating the St. Lawrence River (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2004), 54.
• James Phinney Baxter, Jean François de La Roque Roberval, and Jean Alfonce, A Memoir of Jacques Cartier, Sieur de Limoilou: His Voyages to the St. Lawrence, a Bibliography and a Facsimile of the Manuscript of 1534 with Annotations, Etc. (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1906), 11.
• Jeff Donaldson-Forbes, Jacques Cartier (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2006), 5.
• Donaldson-Forbes, Jacques Cartier , 6.
• Baxter, et. al, A Memoir of Jacques Cartier , 12-13.
• James Stuart Olson, Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism (New York: Greenwood Press, 1991), 118.
• Kristin Petrie, Jacques Cartier (Edina: ABDO Publishing Company, 2004), 9.
• Alan Day, Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Passage (Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2006), 46.
• Day, Historical Dictionary , 46.
• Richard E. Bohlander, ed., World Explorers and Discoverers (New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, 1992), 101.
• Bohlander, World Explorers and Discoverers , 103.
• Jennifer Lackey, Jacques Cartier: Exploring the St. Lawrence River (New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2006), 30.
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Jacques Cartier

Article by Bernard Allaire

Updated by Tabitha de Bruin

Published Online August 29, 2013

Last Edited June 25, 2024

Jacques Cartier, navigator (born between 7 June and 23 December 1491 in Saint-Malo, France; died 1 September 1557 in Saint-Malo, France). From 1534 to 1542, Cartier led three maritime expeditions to the interior of the Gulf of the St. Lawrence River . During these expeditions, he explored, but more importantly accurately mapped for the first time the interior of the river, from the Gulf to Montreal ( see also History of Cartography in Canada ). For this navigational prowess, Cartier is still considered by many as the founder of “Canada.” At the time, however, this term described only the region immediately surrounding Quebec . Cartier’s upstream navigation of the St. Lawrence River in the 16th century ultimately led to France occupying this part of North America.

Voyages to the Americas

Jacques Cartier’s early life is poorly documented. According to historian Marcel Trudel , he was likely born between 7 June and 23 December 1491. No baptismal record has been found, so a precise birthdate is impossible. However, statements made by Cartier himself allowed historians to identify the year and date range. (See Marcel Trudel, Histoire de la Nouvelle-France , volume I (1963), p. 68, footnote 7).

Cartier was likely employed in business and navigation from a young age. Like his countrymen, Cartier probably sailed along the coast of France, Newfoundland and South America (Brazil), first as a sailor and then as an officer. Following the annexation of Brittany to the kingdom of France, King François 1 chose Cartier to replace the explorer Giovanni da Verrazano . Verrazano had died on his last voyage.

First Voyage (1534)

Jacques Cartier’s orders for his first expedition were to search for a passage to the Pacific Ocean in the area around Newfoundland and possibly find precious metals. He left Saint-Malo on 20 April 1534 with two ships and 61 men. They reached the coast of Newfoundland 20 days later. During his journey, Cartier passed several sites known to European fishers. He renamed these places or noted them on his maps. After skirting the north shore of Newfoundland , Cartier and his ships entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence by the Strait of Belle Isle and travelled south, hugging the coast of the Magdalen Islands on 26 June. Three days later, they reached what are now the provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick . He then navigated towards the west, crossing Chaleur Bay and reaching Gaspé , where he encountered Iroquoian lndigenous people from the region of Quebec . They had come to the area for their annual seal hunt. After planting a cross and engaging in some trading and negotiations, Cartier’s ships left on 25 July. Before leaving, Cartier abducted two of Iroquoian chief Donnacona’s sons. They returned to France by following the coast of Anticosti Island and re-crossing the Strait of Belle Isle.

Second Voyage (1535-6)

The expedition of 1535 was more important than the first expedition. It included 110 people and three medium-sized ships. The ships were called the Grande Hermine (the Great Stoat), the Petite Hermine (the Lesser Stoat) and the Émérillon (the Merlin). The Émérillon had been adapted for river navigation. They left Brittany in mid-May 1535 and reached Newfoundland after a long, 50-day crossing. Following the itinerary from the previous year, they entered the Gulf , then travelled the “Canada River” (later named the St. Lawrence River ) upstream. One of chief Donnacona’s sons guided them to the village of Stadacona on the site of what is now the city of Quebec . Given the extent of their planned explorations, the French decided to spend the winter there and settled at the mouth of the St. Charles River. Against the advice of chief Donnacona, Jacques Cartier decided to continue sailing up the river towards Hochelaga , now the city of Montreal . Cartier reached Hochelaga on 2 October 1535. There he met other Iroquoian people, who tantalized Cartier with the prospect of a sea in the middle of the country. By the time Cartier returned to Stadacona (Quebec), relations with the Indigenous people there had deteriorated. Nevertheless, they helped the poorly organized French to survive scurvy thanks to a remedy made from evergreen trees ( see also Indigenous Peoples’ Medicine in Canada ). When spring came, the French decided to return to Europe. This time, Cartier abducted chief Donnacona himself, the two sons, and seven other Iroquoian people. The French never returned Donnacona and his people to North America. ( See also Enslavement of Indigenous People in Canada. )

Third Voyage (1541-2)

The war in Europe led to a delay in returning to Canada. In addition, the plans for the voyage were changed. This expedition was to include close to 800 people and involve a major attempt to colonize the region. The explorations were left to Jacques Cartier, but the logistics and colonial management of the expedition were entrusted to Jean-François de La Rocque , sieur de Roberval. Roberval was a senior military officer who was responsible for recruitment, loading weapons onto the ships, and bringing on craftsmen and a number of prisoners. Just as the expedition was to begin, delays in the preparations and the vagaries of the war with Spain meant that only half the personnel (led by Cartier) were sent to Canada in May 1541 by Roberval. Roberval eventually came the following year. Cartier and his men settled the new colony several kilometres upstream from Quebec at the confluence of the Cap Rouge and St. Lawrence rivers. While the colonists and craftsmen built the forts, Cartier decided to sail toward Hochelaga . When he returned, a bloody battle had broken out with the Iroquoian people at Stadacona .

Return to France

In a state of relative siege during the winter, and not expecting the arrival of Jean-François de La Rocque , sieur de Roberval until spring, Jacques Cartier decided to abandon the colony at the end of May. He had filled a dozen barrels with what he believed were precious stones and metal. At a stop in St. John’s , Newfoundland, however, Cartier met Roberval’s fleet and was given the order to return to Cap Rouge. Refusing to obey, Cartier sailed toward France under the cover of darkness. The stones and metal that he brought back turned out to be worthless and Cartier was never reimbursed by the king for the money he had borrowed from the Breton merchants. After this misadventure, he returned to business. Cartier died about 15 years later at his estate at Limoilou near Saint-Malo. He kept his reputation as the first European to have explored and mapped this part of the Americas, which later became the French axis of power in North America.

• St Lawrence

Further Reading

Marcel Trudel, The Beginnings of New France, 1524-1663 (1973).

External Links

Watch the Heritage Minute about French explorer Jacques Cartier from Historica Canada. See also related online learning resources.

Exploring the Explorers: Jacques Cartier Teacher guide for multidisciplinary student investigations into the life of explorer Jacques Cartier and his role in Canadian history. From the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

Associated Collections

Recommended, indigenous languages in canada, enslavement of indigenous people in canada, exploration, indigenous perspectives education guide.

Biography of Jacques Cartier, Early Explorer of Canada

Rischgitz / Stringer/ Hulton Archive / Getty Images

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Jacques Cartier (December 31, 1491–September 1, 1557) was a French navigator sent by French King Francis I to the New World to find gold and diamonds and a new route to Asia. Cartier explored what became known as Newfoundland, the Magdalen Islands, Prince Edward Island, and the Gaspé Peninsula, and was the first explorer to map the St. Lawrence River. He claimed what is now Canada for France.

Fast Facts: Jacques Cartier

• Known For : French explorer who gave Canada its name
• Born : Dec. 31, 1491 in Saint-Malo, Brittany, France
• Died : Sept. 1, 1557 in Saint-Malo
• Spouse : Marie-Catherine des Granches

Jacques Cartier was born on Dec. 31, 1491, in Saint-Malo, a historic French port on the coast of the English Channel. Cartier began to sail as a young man and earned a reputation as a highly-skilled navigator, a talent that would come in handy during his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean.

He apparently made at least one voyage to the New World, exploring Brazil , before he led his three major North American voyages. These voyages—all to the St. Lawrence region of what is now Canada—came in 1534, 1535–1536, and 1541–1542.

First Voyage

In 1534 King Francis I of France decided to send an expedition to explore the so-called "northern lands" of the New World. Francis was hoping the expedition would find precious metals, jewels, spices, and a passage to Asia. Cartier was selected for the commission.

With two ships and 61 crewmen, Cartier arrived off the barren shores of Newfoundland just 20 days after setting sail. He wrote, "I am rather inclined to believe that this is the land God gave to Cain."

The expedition entered what is today known as the Gulf of St. Lawrence by the Strait of Belle Isle, went south along the Magdalen Islands, and reached what are now the provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Going north to the Gaspé peninsula, he met several hundred Iroquois from their village of Stadacona (now Quebec City), who were there to fish and hunt for seals. He planted a cross on the peninsula to claim the area for France, although he told Chief Donnacona it was just a landmark.

The expedition captured two of Chief Donnacona's sons, Domagaya and Taignoagny, to take along as prisoners. They went through the strait separating Anticosti Island from the north shore but did not discover the St. Lawrence River before returning to France.

Second Voyage

Cartier set out on a larger expedition the next year, with 110 men and three ships adapted for river navigation. Donnacona's sons had told Cartier about the St. Lawrence River and the “Kingdom of the Saguenay” in an effort, no doubt, to get a trip home, and those became the objectives of the second voyage. The two former captives served as guides for this expedition.

After a long sea crossing, the ships entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then went up the "Canada River," later named the St. Lawrence River. Guided to Stadacona, the expedition decided to spend the winter there. But before winter set in, they traveled up the river to Hochelaga, the site of present-day Montreal. (The name "Montreal" comes from Mount Royal, a nearby mountain Cartier named for the King of France.)

Returning to Stadacona, they faced deteriorating relations with the natives and a severe winter. Nearly a quarter of the crew died of scurvy, although Domagaya saved many men with a remedy made from evergreen bark and twigs. Tensions grew by spring, however, and the French feared being attacked. They seized 12 hostages, including Donnacona, Domagaya, and Taignoagny, and fled for home.

Third Voyage

Because of his hasty escape, Cartier could only report to the king that untold riches lay farther west and that a great river, said to be 2,000 miles long, possibly led to Asia. These and other reports, including some from the hostages, were so encouraging that King Francis decided on a huge colonizing expedition. He put military officer Jean-François de la Rocque, Sieur de Roberval, in charge of the colonization plans, although the actual exploration was left to Cartier.

War in Europe and the massive logistics for the colonization effort, including the difficulties of recruiting, slowed Roberval. Cartier, with 1,500 men, arrived in Canada a year ahead of him. His party settled at the bottom of the cliffs of Cap-Rouge, where they built forts. Cartier started a second trip to Hochelaga, but he turned back when he found that the route past the Lachine Rapids was too difficult.

On his return, he found the colony under siege from the Stadacona natives. After a difficult winter, Cartier gathered drums filled with what he thought were gold, diamonds, and metal and started to sail for home. But his ships met Roberval's fleet with the colonists, who had just arrived in what is now St. John's, Newfoundland .

Roberval ordered Cartier and his men to return to Cap-Rouge, but Cartier ignored the order and sailed for France with his cargo. When he arrived in France, he found that the load was really iron pyrite—also known as fool's gold—and quartz. Roberval's settlement efforts also failed. He and the colonists returned to France after experiencing one bitter winter.

Death and Legacy

While he was credited with exploring the St. Lawrence region, Cartier's reputation was tarnished by his harsh dealings with the Iroquois and by his abandoning the incoming colonists as he fled the New World. He returned to Saint-Malo but got no new commissions from the king. He died there on Sept. 1, 1557.

Despite his failures, Jacques Cartier is credited as the first European explorer to chart the St. Lawrence River and to explore the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He also discovered Prince Edward Island and built a fort at Stadacona, where Quebec City stands today. And, in addition to providing the name for a mountain that gave birth to "Montreal," he gave Canada its name when he misunderstood or misused the Iroquois word for village, "kanata," as the name of a much broader area.

• " Jacques Cartier Biography ." Biography.com.
• " Jacques Cartier ." History.com.
• " Jacques Cartier: French Explorer ." Encyclopedia Brittanica.
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The first voyage (1534)

Cartier-brébeuf national historic site.

Jacques Cartier made three voyages to Canada. On April 20, 1534, accompanied by approximately 60 sailors who were to handle two ships of about 60 tonnes each, Cartier set sail from Saint-Malo. Crossing the Atlantic went smoothly; after 20 days, he entered the Strait of Belle Isle. After following the north shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence for a time, he turned back, then headed south following the west coast of Newfoundland. Then, sailing toward the continent, he deduced the existence of the Cabot Street, skirted the Magdalen Islands, rounded the northern tip of Prince Edward Island, and put in at Chaleur Bay. Believing he had discovered the passage to Asia, he travelled to the head of the bay, but then had to backtrack. A storm drove him into the bay of Gaspé, where he met more than 300 people from Stadacona (Québec), who had come there to fish. Two Amerindians who were relatives (sons) of the chief Donnacona were made to embark on Cartier's ship; they accompanied the explorer on the remainder of his exploration.

Following this, weather conditions prevented Cartier from making out the entrance to the St. Lawrence River between the Gaspé peninsula and Anticosti Island. After hunting along the north shore of this island, he finally found a passage, but was unable to travel further inland on account of strong winds and opposing tides. As winter was not far off, Cartier and his men decided to head the two ships back to France. A second voyage thus became a compelling necessity: the St. Lawrence River might be the northern passage so ardently hoped for.

Map of Cartier's first voyage (1534)

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• The great explorations
• The second voyage (1535-1536)
• Wintering (1535-1536)
• The third voyage (1541-1542)

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Jacques Cartier

Introduction, life and voyages.

• Commentary on Cartier’s Relations
• Collections of Documents
• Maps and Cartography
• Cartier and the Renaissance World
• The French Transatlantic Fishery
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• Cartier and Verrazzano
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Jacques Cartier by Alan Gordon LAST REVIEWED: 27 September 2017 LAST MODIFIED: 27 September 2017 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199730414-0252

Jacques Cartier (b. 1491–d. 1557), a sea captain from Saint-Malo on France’s northern coast, was one of the first French sailors to explore the Atlantic world and to chart the geography of northeastern North America. His three voyages between 1534 and 1542 led to the discovery of the St. Lawrence River and its exploration as far as the modern-day city of Montreal. He established a French presence that continued intermittently through the remainder of the 16th century and led to the establishment of a permanent French colony in the 17th century. Thus, Cartier’s discoveries greatly influenced France’s knowledge of and commitment to the Atlantic world. However, little is really known about Cartier or his life. He rarely received direct credit for his own exploits in the centuries following his death. Having explored only as far as Montreal, his discoveries were of little value for further exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries. Only in the middle of the 19th century did he become a symbol of the French “discovery” of Canada. Research conducted in that century uncovered documents to confirm his accomplishments and to help identify him. Thus, the Cartier we know is largely a product of research conducted in the 19th century. However, the documentary record of his life and exploits is fragmentary, and much was destroyed either in fires or during the bombing of Saint-Malo during World War II. With the main story of his voyages well established by the mid-20th century, and lacking new discoveries to attract attention, only a small number of scholars have sustained interest in Jacques Cartier over the years. A flurry of attention accompanied the anniversaries of his first voyage, in 1934 and again in 1984, but more-recent academic interest in Cartier has been limited. His voyages have mostly served as a preface in survey histories of Canada or the French Empire. However, this does not mean that there have been no controversies in the scholarly literature. Disputes remain unresolved about many aspects of his life and voyages, and these debates provide interesting subject matter. This article guides students toward some of these controversies. In the 1960s and 1970s, some scholars began to use the accounts of Cartier’s voyages to “read between the lines” and to learn about native peoples of the 16th century. Subsequently, other scholars have applied other new methods to known sources, borrowing from literary studies, historical geography, and sociology, to learn what reading about Cartier can reveal of his times, our own, and the periods in between.

Many of the most recent accounts of Cartier’s life and voyages have been produced for young audiences and primary-school students and are unsuitable for scholarly research. Most accounts focus, understandably, on his three voyages to North America between 1534 and 1542. However, within these overviews can be found a number of differences in interpretation, emphasis, and conclusions. Dionne 1889 and Pope 1890 reflect the best 19th-century research into Cartier’s life. N.-E. Dionne’s work continues to serve as a resource for some of the more obscure facts of Cartier’s life and the lives of his relatives. From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, French Canadian nationalists saw Cartier as an example of the ideal French Canadian: intrepid, dynamic, patriotic, and Catholic. Desrosiers 1934 presents a classic example of this view, but it appears as well, in more qualified form, in Groulx 1966 . Lanctôt 1947 presents a more balanced but still-nationalistic assessment of Cartier and his historical significance. Trudel 2003 provides the most modern, scholarly biography. However, the date of its original publication (1966) reveals the degree to which the main lines of Cartier’s biography had been set by the mid-20th century.

Desrosiers, Adélard. Notre Jacques Cartier . Albums Historiques. Montreal: Éditions Albert Lévesque, 1934.

A typical nationalist’s interpretation of Cartier. Repeats many 1930s myths about Cartier’s faith and mischaracterizations of native peoples. Useful for understanding the mindset of early-20th-century historians.

Dionne, N.-E. Jacques Cartier . Quebec: Léger Brousseau, 1889.

One of four medalists in an essay contest sponsored by the lieutenant-governor of Quebec. Includes a detailed genealogical study of Cartier’s family as well as opinions on then-current myths about Cartier. However, the material is quite dated. Reissued in 1933 and 1934 by the Quebec City publisher Robitaille.

Groulx, Lionel. La découverte du Canada: Jacques Cartier . Rev. ed. Collection Fleur de Lys. Montreal and Paris: Fides, 1966.

General overview of Cartier’s voyages, including discussions of many controversies in 20th-century historiography. The revised edition updates the 1934 original (Montreal: Granger), timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Cartier’s first voyage. Includes additional materials on the discovery in France in the 1940s of human remains presumed to be Cartier’s.

Lanctôt, Gustave. Jacques Cartier devant l’histoire . Montreal: Éditions Lumen, 1947.

Raises controversial claims about Cartier’s career before and after his three voyages. Links Cartier’s geographical knowledge to Verrazzano’s earlier voyages. See also his work in Cartier and Verrazzano .

Pope, Joseph. Jacques Cartier: His Life and Voyages . Ottawa, ON: Woodburn, 1890.

Written for an essay contest in 1889, and one of the first English-language accounts of Cartier’s voyages. Dated but revealing of 19th-century understandings. Many popular biographies in English are based on Pope’s work.

Trudel, Marcel. “ Cartier, Jacques (1491–1557) .” In Dictionary of Canadian Biography . Vol. 1, 1000–1700 . Edited by Ramsay Cook. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003.

A classic biography from the main Canadian biographical dictionary. Written by the leading historian of New France of his time. Includes an additional list of primary and secondary sources. Originally published in 1966.

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Jacques Cartier Facts, Biography, Accomplishments, Voyages

Published: Jun 4, 2012 · Modified: Nov 11, 2023 by Russell Yost · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Jacques Cartier  (December 31, 1491 – September 1, 1557) was the first French Explorer to explore the New World. He explored what is now Canada and set the stage for the great explorer and navigator Samuel de Champlain to begin colonization of Canada.

Cartier was the first European to discover and create a map of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence River would play an important role in the New World during the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the colonization of America.

Early Life of Jacques Cartier

First voyage, 1534, second voyage, 1535–1536, third voyage, 1541–1542, later life and death.

• Cartier was born in 1491 in Saint-Malo. During his early childhood, he would hear stories of the great Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and the exploits of the Spanish Conquistadors .
• His homeland, France, was relatively inactive in the exploits of the New World. Instead, it was embroiled in the European wars with the Holy Roman Empire, England, and Spain. Cartier grew and began to study navigation and, over time, became an excellent mariner.
• In a feudal society, talents were often overlooked and superseded by political standing. Cartier did not get the attention he deserved until he married Mary Catherine, who was a daughter in a wealthy and politically influential family.

• In 1534, Jacques Cartier was brought to the court of King Francis I. King Francis I ruled France during the reign of Charles V in the Holy Roman Empire and Henry VIII of England.
• He was a talented Monarch and ambitious for great treasure. 10 years prior to Cartier, he had asked Giovanni da Verrazzano to explore the eastern coast of North America but had not formally commissioned him.
• Cartier set sail with a commission from King Francis I in 1534 with hopes of finding a pathway through the New World and into Asia.
• Jacques Cartier sailed across the ocean, landed around Newfoundland, and began exploring the area around the Gulf of the St. Lawrence River. While exploring, he came across two Indian tribes, the Mi'kmaq and the Iroquois. Initially, relations with the Iroquois were positive as he began to establish trade with them. However, Cartier then planted a large cross and claimed the land for the King of France.
• The Iroquois understood the implications and began to change their mood. In response, Cartier kidnapped two of the captain's sons. The Iroquois captain and Cartier agreed that the sons could be taken as long as they were returned with European goods to trade. Cartier then returned to his ships and began his voyage home. He believed that he had found the coast of Asia.
• After his return from his first voyage, Cartier received much praise from Francis I and was granted another voyage, which he left the next year. He left France on May 19 with three ships, 110 men, and the two natives he promised to return to the Iroquois captain.
• This time, when he arrived at the St. Lawrence River, he sailed up the river in what he believed to be a pathway into Asia. He did not reach Asia but instead came into contact with Chief Donnacona, who ruled from the Iroquois capital, Stadacona.
• Cartier continued up the St. Lawrence, believing that it was the Northwest passage to the east. He came across the Iroquois city of Hochelaga and was not able to go much further. The St. Lawrence waters became rapids and were too harsh for ships.
• His expedition left Cartier unable to return to France before the coming of winter. He stayed among the people of Hochelaga and then sailed back to Stadacona around mid-October. He most likely set up winter camp here. During his encampment, scurvy broke out among the Iroquois and soon infected the European explorers. The prognosis was dim until the Iroquois revealed a remedy for scurvy. Bark from a white spruce boiled in water would rid them of the disease.
• Cartier and his men used an entire white spruce to concoct the remedy. The remedy would work and would save the expedition from failure.
• Cartier left Canada for France in May of 1536. Chief Donnacona traveled to France with him to tell King Francis of the great treasures to be found. Jacques Cartier arrived in France on July 15, 1536. His second voyage had made him a wealthy and affluent man.
• Jacques Cartier's third voyage was a debacle. It began with King Francis commissioning Cartier to found a colony and then replacing Cartier with a friend of his, Huguenot explorer Roberval. Cartier was placed as Roberval's chief navigator.  Cartier and Roberval left France in 1541.
• Upon reaching the St. Lawrence, Roverval waited for supplies and sent Cartier ahead to begin construction on the settlement. Cartier anchored at Stadacona and once again met with the Iroquois. While they greeted him with much happiness, Cartier did not like how many of them there were and chose to sail down the river a bit more to find a better spot to construct the settlement. He found the spot and began construction and named it Charlesbourg-Royal.
• After fortifying the settlement, Cartier set out to search for Saguenay. His search was again halted by winter, and the rapids of the Ottawa River forced him to return to Charlesbourg-Royal. Upon his arrival, he found out that the Iroquois Indians were no longer friendly to the Europeans. They attacked the settlement and left 35 of the settlers dead. Jacques Cartier believed that he had insufficient manpower to defend the settlement and search for the Saguenay Kingdom. He also believed that he and his men had found diamonds and gold and had stashed them on two ships.
• Cartier set sail for France in June of 1542. Along the way, he located Roberval and his ships along the coast of Newfoundland. Roberval insisted that Cartier stay and continue with him to the settlement and to help find the Kingdom of Saguenay, and Carter pretended to oblige. Cartier waited, and when the perfect night came, he and his ships full of diamonds and gold left Roberval and returned to France. Roberval continued to Charlesbourg-Royal but abandoned it 2 years later after harsh winters, disease, and the hostile Iroquois Indians.
• Upon returning to France, Cartier would learn that the diamonds he believed to have found were nothing more than mineral deposits. This ended the career of Jacques Cartier.
• Jacques Cartier retired to Sain-Malo, where he served as an interpreter of the Portuguese language. A typhus epidemic broke out in 1557 and claimed the life of the great explorer. Cartier died 15 years after his last voyage to the New World.
• While Cartier's missions did not establish a permanent settlement in Canada, it laid the foundation for Samuel de Champlain.

Jacques Cartier's first voyage route

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Jacques Cartier 1534-1542

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We do not know how Jacques Cartier learned the art of navigation, but Saint-Malo, the town where he was born between the summer and winter of 1491, was at the time one of the most important ports in Europe. In 1524 he probably accompanied Giovanni da Verrazzano on unofficial explorations initiated by the king of France. Some ten years later, Jacques Cartier was a sufficiently experienced navigator to be asked by Francis I to undertake the official exploration of North America. There is no doubt that he was already familiar with the sea route that he took in 1534.

To the New Lands

On March 19, 1534, Cartier was assigned the mission of “undertaking the voyage of this kingdom to the New Lands to discover certain islands and countries where there are said to be great quantities of gold and other riches”. The following April 20, the navigator from Saint-Malo cast off with two ships and a crew of 61. Twenty days later he reached Newfoundland. The exploration began in an area frequented by Breton fishermen: from the Baie des Châteaux (Strait of Belle Isle) to southern Newfoundland. After erecting a cross at Saint-Servan on the north coast of the Gulf, Cartier tacked to the south. He first encountered the Magdalen Islands, and then set course for present-day Prince Edward Island, failing to notice that it was in fact an island.

A Lie and A Claiming of Possession

Cartier then moved on to Chaleur Bay, where he encountered some Micmacs on July 7. The talks were accompanied by a swapping of items, which history has recorded as the first act of trade between the French and Amerindians. Soon after, Cartier reached Gaspé Bay.

More than 200 Iroquois from Stadacona (Québec) were on the peninsula to fish. Initially trusting and cordial, relations were tarnished when Jacques Cartier claimed possession of the territory on July 24. The 30-foot cross he erected at Pointe-Penouille seemed improper to Donnacona, the Native chief. Fearing the consequences of this discontent, Cartier lied, describing the cross as an insignificant landmark.

Jacques Cartier in Gaspé  On the 25th he left the Gaspé area, heading for the Gulf of St. Lawrence. After navigating the strait separating Anticosti Island from the north shore, he set off again for Saint-Malo, where he landed on September 5. The St. Lawrence River had not been discovered.

Revelations of the Amerindian Guides

Jacques Cartier arrived in France with two precious trophies: Domagaya and Taignoagny, the sons of Donnacona, whom he had convinced to come with him. They told him of the St. Lawrence River and the “Kingdom of the Saguenay”, the objectives of his second voyage upon which he set forth on May 19, 1535. Cartier had been persuasive: his crew had doubled and he had command of three ships: the Grande Hermine, Petite Hermine and Émérillon.

Fifty days after putting to sea, a first vessel laid anchor off the shores of Newfoundland. On July 26 the convoy was reunited, and exploration could begin again. On August 10, the day of St. Lawrence, the explorer gave the saint’s name to a little bay. Cartographers later applied it to the the “great river of Hochelaga and route to Canada” leading to the interior of the continent, “so long that no man has seen its end”.

From the Saguenay to Hochelaga

Sailing along the river to Stadacona (Québec), the ships passed Anticosti Island and the mouth of the Saguenay. Cartier established his headquarters on the Sainte-Croix (Saint-Charles) river, and five days later boarded the Émérillon to travel to Hochelaga (Montreal). Leaving the ship in Lake Saint-Pierre, he proceeded in a small craft to the Iroquois village, where he arrived on October 2.

There were nearly 2,000 people living there. The island and village were overlooked by a mountain, which he named mount Royal. He was taken there by his hosts, who spoke to him of the riches of the west, and again of the “Kingdom of the Saguenay”. The rapids north and south of Montreal Island prevented him from continuing his route to the west. Cartier had to return to harbour on the Saint-Charles river, where he found that relations with the Iroquois had become more acrimonious. The threat of an early winter lay before the Frenchmen.

Isolation, Cold and Scurvy

From mid-November, the ships were imprisoned in the ice. December began with an epidemic of scurvy. The Iroquois, the first affected, were slow in delivering up the secret of anedda, a white cedar tea which would save them. Of the 100 Frenchmen afflicted, 25 died.

On May 3, Cartier planted a cross on the site where he had just wintered. The same day, he seized about ten Iroquois, one of them Donnacona, the only one who was able to “relate to the King the marvels he had seen in the western lands”.

The voyage back began three days later, without the Petite Hermine. Following a swerve along the Newfoundland coast, Jacques Cartier discovered the strait which bears the name of the explorer Giovanni Caboto. On July 16, 1536, Cartier was again in Saint-Malo.

The Colonization of Canada

On October 17, 1540, Francis I ordered the Breton navigator to return to Canada to lend weight to a colonization project of which he would be “captain general”. But on January 15, 1541 Cartier was supplanted by Jean-François de La Roque de Roberval, a Huguenot courtier.

Authorized to leave by Roberval, who was awaiting the delivery of artillery and merchandise, Jacques Cartier departed from Saint-Malo on May 23, 1541. He led five vessels “well provisioned with victuals for two years”, including the Grande Hermine, Émérillon, Saint-Brieux and Georges. There were 1500 people travelling with him. The crossing took more than three months.

With the exception of one little girl, all the Iroquois died in France. Cartier admitted the death of Donnacona, but claimed that the others “had remained in France where they were living as great lords; they had married and had no desire to return to their country”.

Being no longer welcome in Stadacona, the colonists settled at the foot of Cap Rouge (Cap Diamant), named Charlesbourg Royal. The experience was a disaster. In June 1542 Cartier left the St. Lawrence valley with the survivors. At Newfoundland he met with Roberval’s group, which had only left La Rochelle in April. The night after their encounter, Cartier placed the entreprise in jeopardy by slipping away from his leader. He landed in Saint-Malo in September.

Jacques Cartier would never return to Canada. As for Roberval, he continued on to Charlesbourg Royal, which he renamed France-Roi. After putting up with the climate, scurvy, quarrelling and adversity, his colony was extinguished in 1543 with the repatriation of those who survived.

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• Biographical dictionary

Jacques Cartier

Jacques Cartier (1491-1557)

Source: Jacques Cartier [Toile], Hamel, T., 1848, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec collection, (URL). All rights reserved*

Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) was a French navigator, explorer and cartographer. He was the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River and to use the name Canada in his writings. At the time, Canada referred to the area around present-day Quebec City. He is best known for helping France gain a better understanding of the territory, among other things by creating the first accurate maps of the Gulf and part of the St. Lawrence River, thanks to his 3 voyages.

Around 1532, François 1er, King of France, appointed Jacques Cartier to lead an expedition of exploration. At the king's expense, the navigator was to make voyages to the New World, seeking a passage to Asia and discovering new riches.

Cartier's first 2 voyages (1534 and 1535-1536) were promising. He explored the Gulf, then the St. Lawrence River, and came into contact with several native communities. In the process, he developed a better understanding of the territory and its inhabitants.

The aim of the 3rd voyage (1541-1542) was to begin colonizing Canada and spreading the Catholic faith. This time, Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval was appointed fleet commander. However, he had to remain in France while Jacques Cartier set sail for the new continent in 1541. Roberval's fleet was to join Cartier's the following year.

During this voyage, Cartier's crew and the colonists accompanying them faced many challenges. They had to spend the winter for the 2nd time, and relations with the native communities were sometimes very difficult. The summer after their arrival, they set sail for France, leaving behind the settlements they had built to found a new colony. Along the way, they came across Roberval's fleet, bound for Canada. Refusing to join the fleet and return to Canada, Cartier returned to France. He had the stones he had brought with him analyzed. What he thought were gold and diamonds were in fact iron pyrite and quartz, 2 minerals of little value. 

Roberval's fleet, for their part, attempt to establish a colony on the same site as Cartier. After a difficult winter, the survivors returned to France, thus completing the first series of French colonization attempts in Canada. 

After these unsuccessful attempts, France lost interest for a time in any exploration or colonization of what would become New France.

To find out more about Jacques Cartier and France's colonization plans, visit The first colonization attempt by the French in America.

• Biography in a few points

1491: Jacques Cartier is born in Saint-Malo (Brittany).

1534: At the behest of King François 1er, Jacques Cartier leaves France to explore the Newfoundland region and seek a passage to Asia. During this first voyage, he explores the Gulf of St. Lawrence and establishes relations with native communities on Chaleur Bay. He also planted a cross in Gaspé, claiming the territory in the name of the King of France. He returns to France after rounding Anticosti Island.

1535-1536: Jacques Cartier makes his second voyage to Canada. This expedition included 3 ships: La Petite Hermine, L'Émérillon and La Grande Hermine . He reaches Hochelaga, a fortified native village on what is now the island of Montreal. During their first winter in Canada, the men of his crew fell victim to scurvy, but recovered thanks to a native remedy based on conifer bark. Leaving for France the following summer, Jacques Cartier forcibly brought Donnacona, chief of the Iroquoian village of Stadaconé, and 9 other natives with him. All of them died in France. Before his death, Donnacona hints to François 1er, King of France, that the Kingdom of the Saguenay abounds in gold, precious stones and spices.

1541-1542: Jacques Cartier makes his third voyage to New France. When he arrives, he has the Charlesbourg-Royal fort built in preparation for colonization. Relations with the native peoples deteriorate. The summer after their arrival, Jacques Cartier returns to France, bringing with him what he believes to be gold and diamonds. In Newfoundland, he came across the expedition of Jean-François de la Rocque de Roberval, commander-in-chief of the third French expedition, heading for Canada. Cartier continues on to France, while Roberval heads for Charlesbourg-Royal in Canada.

1543: Due to numerous conflicts with the natives and a difficult first winter, Roberval returns to France with all survivors of the fledgling colony. This puts an end to the first attempts at French colonization in Canada.

1545 : The accounts of Jacques Cartier's second voyage are published. 

1557: Jacques Cartier dies on September 1, in Saint-Malo (Brittany, France).

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The Cabin of Peter the Great

The first house to be built in Peter's city is still carefully preserved for you to see today…

The first residential building to be built in the newly founded city of St. Petersburg was a wooden house or cabin, intended for Tsar Peter himself. The cabin is very small - only 60 sq. meters in area and is a strange combination of a traditional Russian house - izba - and a Dutch home with large and elaborate windows and high roof, covered with wooden tiles. Tsar Peter lived in this house between 1703 and 1708 and the living room, bedroom and study, still filled with Peter's original belongings, still bear the mark of his presence. Peter the Great wanted all the houses of his new city to be built of stone, the way it was done in Europe. But he could not afford a stone house at the time, so he ordered the walls to be painted as if the house was made of bricks.

Hidden from wind and rain inside a red brick pavilion, which you can see in the picture, the first house built in the city of St Petersburg is still open to the public. During the Second World War the Cabin of Peter the Great was the first museum to reopen in 1944 after the dramatic 900-day Siege of Leningrad .

NOTE: Some guidebooks list this house as Peter's Cottage .

Location: 6, Petrovskaia Naberezhnaia. Open: 11 am to 9 pm. Closed: Tuesdays. Modest fee charged.

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