purpose of jacques cartier voyages

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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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Jacques Cartier

French explorer Jacques Cartier is known chiefly for exploring the St. Lawrence River and giving Canada its name.

(1491-1557)

Who Was Jacques Cartier?

French navigator Jacques Cartier was sent by King Francis I to the New World in search of riches and a new route to Asia in 1534. His exploration of the St. Lawrence River allowed France to lay claim to lands that would become Canada. He died in Saint-Malo in 1557.

Early Life and First Major Voyage to North America

Born in Saint-Malo, France on December 31, 1491, Cartier reportedly explored the Americas, particularly Brazil, before making three major North American voyages. In 1534, King Francis I of France sent Cartier — likely because of his previous expeditions — on a new trip to the eastern coast of North America, then called the "northern lands." On a voyage that would add him to the list of famous explorers, Cartier was to search for gold and other riches, spices, and a passage to Asia.

Cartier sailed on April 20, 1534, with two ships and 61 men, and arrived 20 days later. He explored the west coast of Newfoundland, discovered Prince Edward Island and sailed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, past Anticosti Island.

Second Voyage

Upon returning to France, King Francis was impressed with Cartier’s report of what he had seen, so he sent the explorer back the following year, in May, with three ships and 110 men. Two Indigenous peoples Cartier had captured previously now served as guides, and he and his men navigated the St. Lawrence, as far as Quebec, and established a base.

In September, Cartier sailed to what would become Montreal and was welcomed by the Iroquois who controlled the area, hearing from them that there were other rivers that led farther west, where gold, silver, copper and spices could be found. Before they could continue, though, the harsh winter blew in, rapids made the river impassable, and Cartier and his men managed to anger the Iroquois.

So Cartier waited until spring when the river was free of ice and captured some of the Iroquois chiefs before again returning to France. Because of his hasty escape, Cartier was only able to report to the king that untold riches lay farther west and that a great river, said to be about 2,000 miles long, possibly led to Asia.

Third Voyage

In May 1541, Cartier departed on his third voyage with five ships. He had by now abandoned the idea of finding a passage to the Orient and was sent to establish a permanent settlement along the St. Lawrence River on behalf of France. A group of colonists was a few months behind him this time.

Cartier set up camp again near Quebec, and they found an abundance of what they thought were gold and diamonds. In the spring, not waiting for the colonists to arrive, Cartier abandoned the base and sailed for France. En route, he stopped at Newfoundland, where he encountered the colonists, whose leader ordered Cartier back to Quebec. Cartier, however, had other plans; instead of heading to Quebec, he sneaked away during the night and returned to France.

There, his "gold" and "diamonds" were found to be worthless, and the colonists abandoned plans to found a settlement, returning to France after experiencing their first bitter winter. After these setbacks, France didn’t show any interest in these new lands for half a century, and Cartier’s career as a state-funded explorer came to an end. While credited with the exploration of the St. Lawrence region, Cartier's reputation has been tarnished by his dealings with the Iroquois and abandonment of the incoming colonists as he fled the New World.

Cartier died on September 1, 1557, in Saint-Malo, France.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Jacques Cartier
• Birth Year: 1491
• Birth date: December 31, 1491
• Birth City: Saint-Malo, Brittany
• Birth Country: France
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: French explorer Jacques Cartier is known chiefly for exploring the St. Lawrence River and giving Canada its name.
• Astrological Sign: Capricorn
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1557
• Death date: September 1, 1557
• Death City: Saint-Malo, Brittany
• Death Country: France
• If the soil were as good as the harbors, it would be a blessing.
• [T]he land should not be called the New Land, being composed of stones and horrible rugged rocks; for along the whole of the north shore I did not see one cartload of earth and yet I landed in many places.
• Out of 110 that we were, not 10 were well enough to help the others, a thing pitiful to see.
• Today was our first day at sea. The weather was good, no clouds at the horizon and we are praying for a smooth sail.
• We set sail again trying to discover more wonders of this new world.
• Today I did something great for my country. We have taken over the land. Long live the King of France!
• I'm anxious to see what lies ahead. Every day we are getting deeper and deeper inside the continent, which increases my curiosity.
• Today I have completed my second voyage, which I can say had thought me a lot about how different things are in this world and how people start building up communities according to their common beliefs.
• The world is big and still hiding a lot.
• There arose such stormy and raging winds against us that we were constrained to come to the place again from whence we were come.
• I am inclined to believe that this is the land God gave to Cain.

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Jacques Cartier

This French Canadian explorer was born in 1492, coincidentally on the day Columbus left on his first voyage. He became known as a great navigator early in his career. He sailed with great explorers such as Henry Hudson , Lewis and Clark , and John Glenn, guiding them on their journeys. It wasn’t until April of 1534 that King Francis of France funded his first solo expedition. Like his mentor Hudson, Cartier wanted to find a Northwest Passage to India and the Spice Islands, though his motivation was different. Cartier’s family was the premier watch manufacturer of Europe, and he was looking for new places to trade.

On his first voyage in 1534, Cartier sailed westward from France across the Arctic Ocean. It was during this journey that he named the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. He returned to France dejected, though, because he had been unable to sell any watches. His family was very disturbed and wanted him to set out again.

The Voyages of Jacques Cartier (Click to enlarge)

So on May 19, 1535, his forty-fourth birthday, he took three ships back across the Arctic, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The third of these was completely stocked with hundreds of top-quality watches for sale to the locals. But the following year he returned to France with every watch still on board.

Cartier’s family was understandably distraught, and they refused to finance a third expedition to the New World. He was determined to succeed, though, and less than three months later, he boarded a single ship which was once more full of watches. Because the family had rejected him, though, Cartier was forced to bring cheap imitations that he had imported from Korea.

When he arrived in Canada, his ship foundered on the Great Barrier Reef that had frustrated Hudson so many times, and Cartier was forced to abandon his cargo except for his cloak and the few watches he was able to gather and keep wrapped in it. Over the next two years, Cartier traveled on foot from town to town, eventually ending up in New York City. Homeless and destitute, he was forced to live on the street, selling his imitation watches there to whoever was willing to buy them. Cartier died penniless and was buried in an anonymous grave in Central Park, just behind the buffalo pen in the zoo.

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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.

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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.

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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Jacques Cartier

There was no record of significant events in his life prior to 1534, except for the fact that he studied navigation in one of France’s prominent centers for navigation. After his studies, he became a conscientious French navigator and explorer. Historians marked his discovery of the St. Lawrence River and the Canadian coast as his greatest accomplishments.

Early Expeditions

Prior to his first major expedition, it was believed that Cartier travelled to the Americas in 1524. He accompanied Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer, in penetrating South Carolina, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Brazil. The expedition was made with formal commission from the crown.

Jacques Cartier’s first notable voyage was in 1534, at the time when the Edict of Union proclaimed the Duchy of Brittany as legally united with France. On May 10, 1534, Cartier left to sail on two ships with 61 members, among them his brother Jean, under the commission of King Francis I of France.

Cartier searched for the Northwest Passage that would lead him to islands reputed to be rich in gold. He sailed the Atlantic for twenty days and landed in Newfoundland (now the Canadian Atlantic provinces) and crossed Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island. He proceeded to Chaleur Bay and Gaspe Peninsula where he met the Micmac (Meeg-maw) Indians who wanted to befriend them.

His first unexpected encounter with aboriginals ended in trading. His next meeting was somewhat threatening when he saw forty Micmac boats encircling their ships. The Micmac gave peace signs, but Cartier ordered two warning shots which made the Micmac sail away.

On his third encounter at Baie de Gaspe, Cartier set a cross with the words “Long Live the King of France.” He controlled the place and the Iroquoians knew that the possession was under the name of King Francis I.

Old Tactics

Although the historians could not agree whether Cartier indeed kidnapped Taignoagny and Domagaya, the sons of Chief Donnacona, it was definite that the return of the sons was conditional on the bringing of European goods. Cartier came back to France in September 1534, but his brother died during the trip because of severe weather conditions.

Cartier’s second expedition is traced back from 1535 to 1536. The navigation started on May 19, 1935. He had three ships manned with 110 sailors and two native boys. He passed through Belle Isle and sailed to St. Lawrence from the coast westward until reaching Stadacona where he left one of his boats. He continued navigating and reached Hochelaga (now Montreal, Canada) on October 2, 1535.

New Friends & Old Adversaries

Compared to Stadacona, Hochelaga was far more progressive. Iroquoians greeted them by the shore and Cartier stayed with them for two days before returning to Stadacona. As much as they wanted to return to France, they could not do so because the harsh winter prevented this.

As their ships were anchored frozen with ice as thick as 1.8 meters at St. Charles River, they decided to stay in a small town near Quebec. Their situation was exacerbated by the outbreak of scurvy which resulted in the death of 25 of his men. The Hurons from Hochelaga were generous to Cartier and they gave him the remedy for scurvy.

Domagaia suffered from scurvy too but was able to recuperate and told Cartier about the bark of a cedar tree that cured him. True to his words, Cartier’s men survived the illness. Notwithstanding the goodness shown to him, Cartier held 12 Indians and Chief Donnacona as prisoners. Cartier wanted to know more about the Kingdom of Saguenay, which, according to stories, was the land of treasures. They headed back and arrived in France on July 15, 1526.

On May 23, 1541, Cartier sailed on his third voyage as a subordinate under the leadership of Jean-Francois de la Rocque de Roberval. The primary purpose of the expedition was no longer to find passage to Asian countries, but to look for the Kingdom of Saguenay.

Cartier landed at Stadacona but did not bother to settle there because the Iroquoains were unfriendly. He continued to sail and spotted today’s Cap-Rouge, Quebec. The Frenchmen landed and the cattle were let loose. They started to plant cabbage and lettuce. They built a fort for protection purposes. Thus, Cartier managed to establish a settlement there.

Precious Stones

Cartier left for Saguenay on September 7, 1541. He failed on his journey because of the bad weather that confronted him plus the rapids that blocked his way all throughout the Ottawa River. He resolved to return to Charlesbourg-Royal but he found the situation rather menacing. The Iroquoians gave him unfriendly greetings and they advanced towards him in a suspicious manner.

Return to France

According to other sailors, they were attacked by the natives, and around 35 men were killed. The Frenchmen were outnumbered and unable to protect their settlement. In despair, Cartier left for France and met Roberval on the coast of Newfoundland. Roberval persisted in accompanying him to Saguenay but Cartier took off at night to return to France believing that what he possessed were treasures of diamond and gold. In the meantime, Roberval headed towards Charlesbourg-Royal but concluded the expedition after they were dispelled by the natives.

Cartier arrived in France in October 1541. After his three major North American expeditions, the King gave him no further commissions. It is believed that he spent the last years of his life in Portugal as an interpreter. During an epidemic in 1557, Cartier died of typhus at the age of 66, albeit historians recorded the cause of his death as officially unknown. His remains are laid in St. Vincent’s Cathedral.

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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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Jacques Cartier – The Greatest Voyager Of 1500s!

Table of contents show, who was jacques cartier, 1st voyage to canada, 1534, 2nd voyage to canada, 1535, 3rd voyage to canada, 1541, historical remains of jacques cartier, closing thoughts.

Jacques Cartier has a significant position in Canadian history. If you’re curious about how he lived, kicked the bucket, or happened in history, we’ll try to answer these questions in this blog.

He was a French- Breton Mariner and explorer who laid claims for land in the New World for France. He was officially the first European explorer to clamber up the Gulf of  St. Lawrence Valley and map this part of America.

The sketched maps of his explorations left a profound impact on 16th-century cartography.

During the last decade of the 15th and 16th centuries, the Renaissance and the dreams of finding unfathomable riches and gold in the east ignited a spirit of curiosity and adventure for the power-driven Europeans to explore the world outside.

Then, Cartier appears in the picture and is commissioned by Francis I to take a voyage into the New World and retrace the route Verezano several years earlier, to find a passage to Asia.

He soon undertakes three voyages to the newly discovered valley and claims land for what is now Canada for France. In addition to his explorations at St. Lawrence river Valley, He is credited with giving Canada its name.

Jacques Cartier was born on December 31, 1494, to French-Breton Jamet Cartier and Geseline Beaudoin in Saint-Malo, Brittany, France. 

Not much is known about his early life Jacques Cartier certainly had some experience in the art of navigation, which earned him the title of ‘Maistre Pilote.’

His maritime experience in Spain, Brazil, and Newfoundland was sufficient to earn him the faith of Francis I and Bishop Jean Le Veneur, the admiral of France. 

He was soon chosen to undertake a voyage to the New World to find a  Northwest Passage  to the Pacific Ocean around Newfoundland.

Voyages of Jacques Cartier

Here are intricacies about the voyage experiences of Jacques Cartier.

Jacques Cartier was made the expedition’s leader, consisting of two ships and 61 men. The boat left the port of St. Malo on April 20, 1534. 

He and his ships entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence by Straits of Belle Isle and traveled south to the coast of the Magdalen Islands. The crew reached the Prince Edward Islands and New Brunswick three days later.

Then, they navigated towards the west, crossing Chaleur Bay and reaching Gaspe Bay. Here, they encountered the Iroquois Indigenous people from the region of Stadacona (Present-day Quebec). 

He took a vast territory at Gaspe Bay by erecting a cross engraved with the words ‘Vive le Roy de France .’ Later, this became the subject of the most significant Cartier commemoration.

It was also believed that the first bartering between the Amerindians and the Europeans occurred during this encounter. 

When the time came for departure, Cartier abducted two sons of Chief Donnacona of Stadacona, Damagaya, and Taignoagny. From Gaspe, the fleet headed north, exploring much of Anticosti Island.

From there, the passage home was direct, and the fleet returned to St. Malo on September 5 after a voyage of four and a half months. 

On returning, Cartier gave the first official report of the Gulf of Lawrence, thus helping to open up new territory to fur trade and fisheries.

In addition to his explorations at St. Lawrence Valley, Jacques Cartier is credited with giving Canada its name. 

The word comes from the Iroquois-Huron language, ‘Kanata,’ which means ‘village’ or ‘settlements.’ Cartier used this word to refer to all his explored areas.

In mid-May 16, 1535, Jacques Cartier, with a crew of 110 men, along with the sons of Donnacona, left Saint-Malo boarding three ships – The Great Hermine, Petite Hermine, and Emerillion. 

The fleets anchored at the site of lle d’ Orleans. He and his crew entered the small bay on the coast opposite Anticosti Island, which he named for St. Lawrence.

Two natives explained to Cartier that the Great River was the river of Hochelagans and the way to Canada. 

The fleet soon reached the mouth of the Saguenay River, but Cartier realized that the river was not the route to the Northway passage as it flowed from the northern direction.

They continued up the Great River and encountered the villagers of Domagaya and Taignoagny. 

The sons introduced Cartier to the people of Stadacona (Quebec), and Donnacona himself came aboard the Grande Hermine to greet the Captain. 

Following the Stonaconas upstream, they reached their settlement, which would one day become Quebec City . 

Cartier soon found a sanctuary for his crew and ships at the intersection of Loiret and St. Charles River, at St. Croix (Today’s St. Charles River)

Cartier maintained good relations with the Laurentian Indians during this period. Because of this, he familiarized himself with the customs and religion of the Indians and wrote down a vocabulary. 

He also gained notions of the fabled kingdom of Saguenay, which nourished his hopes that he might someday be able to go there.

The Stadaconas were not pleased with Cartier’s enthusiasm for a trip to Hochelaga ( Montreal Island ). 

With the flood of European goods penetrating the Indian soil, the Indians surveyed that their indigenous trade techniques were no match against the European rivals. 

The economic motives of the Europeans were comprehended, and the Amerindians needed to initiate a way to keep their opponents out of the profitable trade relationship.

Moreover, Hochelagans reigned supreme among the inhabitants of the St. Lawrence Valley. Donnacona wanted to keep the advantage of the trade with the French to escape Hochelaga’s hegemony.

Despite the threats from the Amerindians, Cartier went on aboard with Emerillion on September 7.  Jacques Cartier met the chief of the settlement and several of his subjects during his visit to Hochelaga.

He got the impression that there was gold beyond the Lachine rapids. He vowed to return to explore.

Upon returning from Hochelaga in mid-October, the crew confronted the rigors of the harsh Canadian climate. 

They were exposed for the first time to Canadian winter . Owing to the lack of Vitamin C in their diet, a disease known as scurvy, unknown to the Europeans at that time, decimated the crew. 

However, Donnacona helped them by giving them the indigenous medicine called Annedda, a white cedar tea. It weakened the bout off with scurvy and saved the rest of the crew.

Cartier’s subordinates soon built a fort, given their uneasy relationship with the Stadacodians. Their relationship had been affected by his trip to Hochelaga.

The first European Building was constructed in St. Lawrence Valley. Given the hostile attitude of the Stadaconians, Cartier had his fort strengthened. 

Their friendly relations soon ended, and it turned into mistrust and suspicion. Since the route to Asia was not found, Cartier decided to return to France. 

On his return, he captured several Indians, including Chief Donnacona, and took them to France as captives. The Stadaconians never saw their chief again.

Wars in Europe led to a delay in the next voyage of Jacques Cartier. However, in June 1538, the Treaty of Nice ended the war. 

Francis, I was still intrigued and enchanted by the tales of the riches in the kingdom of Saguenay, and he still had another expedition in mind. 

Cartier was commissioned for the next trip to Canada, but he was made subordinate to Jean Francois de la Roberval, who was expected to head the next vast colonization expedition.

France adopted a new purpose for this next expedition – to lead the people to the knowledge of God. 

They were still searching for the fabled kingdom of Saguenay, which sounded promising. But basically, it was to repeat and extend the exploration of the Second Voyage.

Meanwhile, navigator Jacques Cartier departed from St. Malo with five vessels, as Roberval was not ready to leave. He established himself at Cape Rouge and built new fortifications. 

This settlement came to be known as Charlesbourg- Royal. Once settled, he continued the exploration of this area and searched the route to Saguenay. The fleet passed Sainte- Croix on August 23, 1541.

After his second journey to Hochelaga, Cartier lost faith in the search for Saguenay because the route beyond the Lachine rapids was long and arduous. 

This bit of crippling news, coupled with the discovery of what he believed to be gold and diamonds in the routes of Cap-Rouge, made him hurry back to France.

The third voyage intended for colonization and exploration proved a failure. At the en route, Cartier encountered Roberval.  He ordered him to return, but Cartier was anxious to convert his cargo into cash, and Cartier abandoned Roberval and left for France. 

Meanwhile, Roberval had to spend a horrendous winter at the site of this navigator’s settlement and repatriate the tiny colony to France. Records of the third voyage end here.

There is hardly any information about what happened after Cartier’s return from Hochelaga. 

But hostilities with the Native Indians seemed to have intensified officially during the 3rd voyage. When the French returned to the St. Lawrence Valley at the beginning of the 17th century, they met only nomads.

The tribes of Stadacona and Hochelaga had been wiped out. Various historians have interpreted the reason behind their disappearance – as warfare, migration, and the formation of strong leagues in the valley.

Cartier arrived at Saint-Malo, Brittany, in September 1542 after 17 months of voyage. 

This was the last official expedition that Cartier took part in. The gold and diamonds that he believed he had discovered from Cap-Rouge were iron pyrite and quartz.

It is said that Jacques Cartier spent his last phase of life living a simple and peaceful existence. He retired from navigation and took part in public activities. 

He died at 66 at his estate at Limoilou near Saint-Malo. 

Historians believe that the plague, which had raged Europe, reached St. Malo at the beginning of summer, and it was believed that Cartier succumbed to it.

Although the three expeditions failed, Jacques Cartier’s voyage to New France still represents an essential step in the French colonization of the New World. 

His explorations upriver as far as the Island of Montreal added significantly to European geographical knowledge of the North American region. 

It influences the 16th century’s ‘Age of Discovery.’ Cartier sailed the north shore, discovered prince Edward island, Atlantic ocean, and other major north American voyages. Also become so well known that king Francis reached out to him, and later king gave Cartier support for his adventure as    Cartier also opened the doors, stimulating the fish industry and the fur trade by expanding territorial limits. 

Cartier’s influence on 16th-century cartography was considerable. He had carefully mapped the interiors of the St. Lawrence Valley. He drew maps of his voyages but did not survive to the present day.

Two letters from Cartier’s great-nephew in 1587 proved that his sketch maps existed. 

However, his plans were adopted from the second half of the 16th century, showing similar routes that he had followed. Jean Rotz drafted the first map to show affinity with the Cartier tradition on a 1542 map. 

Another chart in the Portuguese- Cartier tradition shows his 1st and 2nd voyages. Despite the failure of the voyage to Canada, which was intended for exploration and colonization, Jacques Cartier’s rightful place in Canadian history should not be diminished. 

He was the first European to visit the Canadian lands and also the first to capitalize on the potential for further exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Although Cartier’s gold and diamonds were regarded as ‘Fools Gold,’ subsequent explorers who followed in his footsteps found gold in the land. 

Jacques Cartier did not live to see the fame and success his voyages later brought his name.  That, the future generations would credit him with the founding of a new colony and the person who gave the country its name ‘Canada.’

Three and a half centuries after Cartier last saw the North American shore, he earned his name in history, particularly in Canada. 

People across Quebec also named him the father of New France. Citizens of Montreal even unveiled a monument honoring the great explorers for their heroic deeds. And Cartier was one of them.

The Jacques Cartier bridge in Montreal was named after Jacques Cartier to commemorate his first voyage up to Saint. Lawrence, 400 years earlier.

Canada sure has one of the most interesting histories in the world. This article about Jacques Cartier is a pure example. 

Find out more about the history of Canada by  clicking here .

Last Updated on August 14, 2023 by Priyanshi Sharma

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• The Voyages of Jacques Cartier

In this Book

• With an introduction by Ramsay Cook
• Published by: University of Toronto Press

Jacques Cartier's voyages of 1534, 1535, and 1541constitute the first record of European impressions of the St Lawrence region of northeastern North American and its peoples. The Voyages are rich in details about almost every aspect of the region's environment and the people who inhabited it.

In addition to Cartier's Voyages , a slightly amended version of H.P. Biggar's 1924 text, the volume includes a series of letters relating to Cartier and the Sieur de Roberval, who was in command of cartier on the last voyage. Many of these letters appear for the first time in English.

Ramsay Cook's introduction, 'Donnacona Discovers Europe,' rereads the documents in the light of recent scholarship as well as from contemporary perspectives in order to understand better the viewpoints of Cartier and the native people with whom he came into contact.

Table of Contents

• Title Page, Copyright Page
• pp. vii-viii
• Donnacona Discovers Europe: Rereading Jacques Cartier's Voyages
• The Voyages
• Cartier's First Voyage, 1534
• Cartier's Second Voyage, 1535-1536
• Cartier's Third Voyage, 1541
• Roberval's Voyage, 1542-1543
• pp. 107-113
• Documents relating to Jacques Cartier and the Sieur de Roberval
• 1 Grant of Money to Cartier for His First Voyage
• 2 Commission from Admiral Chabot to Cartier
• 3 Choice of Vessels for the Second Voyage
• pp. 119-120
• 4 Payment of Three Thousand Livres to Cartier for His Second Voyage
• 5 Roll of the Crews for Cartier's Second Voyage
• pp. 122-124
• 6 Order from King Francis the First for the Payment to Cartier of Fifty Crowns
• 7 List of Men and Effects for Canada
• pp. 126-129
• 8 Letter from Lagarto to John the Third, King of Portugal
• pp. 130-133
• 9 The Baptism of the Savages from Canada
• 10 Cartier's Commission for His Third Voyage
• pp. 135-138
• 11 Letters Patent from the Duke of Brittany Empowering Cartier to Take Prisoners from the Gaols
• pp. 139-140
• 12 The Emperor to the Cardinal of Toledo
• pp. 141-142
• 13 An Order from King Francis to Inquire into the Hindrances Placed before Cartier
• 14 Roberval's Commission
• pp. 144-151
• 15 Secret Report on Cartier's Expedition
• pp. 152-155
• 16 Cartier's Will
• pp. 156-158
• 17 Examination of Newfoundland Sailors regarding Cartier
• pp. 159-168
• 18 Cartier Takes Part in a 'Noise'
• pp. 169-170
• 19 Statement of Cartier's Account
• pp. 171-176
• 20 Death of Cartier

Additional Information

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The voyages of Jacques Cartier : published from the originals with translations, notes and appendices

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The Ages of Exploration

Jacques cartier.

Quick Facts:

Portrait of Jacques Cartier aboard a ship ready for his voyage.

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The second voyage (1535-1536)

Cartier-brébeuf national historic site.

The following year, his ships filled with provisions for a 15-month expedition, Jacques Cartier explored both shores of the St. Lawrence River beginning from Anticosti Island. He was aided in this endeavour by the two Amerindians he had captured during the previous voyage. On September 7, 1535, he dropped anchor on the north side of Île d'Orléans. Domagaya and Taignoagny, who had become Cartier's guides in these territories, now returned to their homeland and introduced Cartier to the people of Stadacona. The explorer offered the Amerindians presents. This meeting of the two peoples was a cause for numerous celebrations.

Not long after arriving at Île d'Orléans, Jacques Cartier decided to explore the surrounding country for the purpose of finding a suitable location in which to shelter his vessels. He discovered a natural haven at the junction of the Lairet and Saint-Charles Rivers. It was a particularly advantageous setting, as it prevented the ships from being dragged away by tides, and the surrounding hillsides provided shelter from wind. The explorer declared himself satisfied with the location, which was to become the present-day Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site, and had his two largest ships, the Grande Hermine and the Petite Hermine, cast anchor for the winter.

Cartier then began laying plans for travel upriver to Hochelaga (present-day Montréal). Domagaya and Taignoagny attempted to dissuade him from this course of action, and then flatly refused to accompany him. They thereby hoped to reserve the benefits of trading with the Europeans for the inhabitants of Stadacona alone. Despite the ruses and threats of the Amerindians, Cartier set out on his expedition aboard the Émérillion on September 19. The inhabitants of Hochelaga provided him a warm welcome. As no interpreters were to be had, the Europeans and the Amerindians had to use sign language. The French navigator developed the impression that there was gold beyond the Lachine rapids. He thus vowed to continue his exploration at some future date.

Related links

• The great explorations
• The first voyage (1534)
• Wintering (1535-1536)
• The third voyage (1541-1542)

• Historic Sites
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• Timeline: 1900
• First Nations
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• Cartier's First Voyage
• Port of Brest
• Second Expedition Is Coming...
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• First contacts
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• Second Voyage: Conclusion
• Cartier's Third voyage
• System of Companies
• The First French Settlement
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• Founding of Quebec
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Cartier’s Third voyage

Cartier's Third Voyage to Canada

In June 1536, Jacques Cartier sailed out to France. After a three-week Atlantic crossing, on July 15, 1536, the sailors arrived in Saint-Malo: the second, 14-month voyage, was completed.

To France, Cartier brought along the Iroquois Chief Donnacona so that he could personally tell the story of a country farther north, known among the Indians as the “Kingdom of Saguenay.” It was reportedly full of gold, diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones and metals. The third voyage thus was inevitable.

On October 17, 1540, Francis I, the king of France, ordered Cartier to go back to Canada and to launch a colonization project. However, on January 15, 1541, the navigator was supplanted by Jean-Francois de La Rocque de Roberval, appointed the commander of the expedition with Cartier as his subordinate.

Roberval gave permission to Cartier to sail on ahead with five ships. On May 23, 1541, Jacques Cartier departed Saint-Malo on his third voyage to Canada. This time, the main goal was to find the “Kingdom of Saguenay” and to establish a permanent settlement in Canada. Cartier arrived at Stadacone and met his old acquaintances the Iroquoians. Nevertheless, he decided not to settle there. His choice was the present-day Cap-Rouge, in Quebec City . There, a fortified settlement was established and named Charlesbourg-Royal. Two forts were built for its protection.

The colonists planted seeds of cabbage, turnip, and lettuce. At the site, the French collected what they believed were diamonds and gold. On September 2, 1541, two ships were dispatched to France with these minerals. Unfortunately, upon return to France, it was discovered that those stones were merely quartz crystals and iron pyrites. On September 7, 1540, Cartier left for a reconnaissance trip in search of the “Saguenay.” He reached Hochelaga, but bad weather and the rapids prevented him from continuing up to the Ottawa River , and he returned to Charlesbourg-Royal.

No records exist about the winter of 1541-1542, but it seems the Iroquois attacked and killed more than 30 Frenchmen before the colonists could retreat to the fortifications. Jacques Cartier was certain that, without help from France, he could not protect the settlement for the next year. The explorer left for France to get help in June 1542.

Along the Newfoundland coast, the expedition encountered Roberval who insisted that Cartier should accompany him back to Saguenay. Certain that his ships contained a wealth of gold and diamonds, Cartier, however, decided to sail off one night. He arrived in France in October 1642. Roberval took command at Charlesbourg-Royal, but the settlement was abandoned in 1543.

It seems, in 2006, Canadian archaeologists had discovered the precise location of Cartier ’s lost first colony of Charlesbourg-Royal.

• Cartier's first voyage
• Second expedition is coming…
• Second Voyage begins
• Second voyage: conclusion
• Description of Hochelaga
• Where did Cartier land?
• Why Montreal
• Cartier's biography
• System of companies
• First permanent settlement in Canada
• Champlain explores Canada
• Champlain's second voyage