Jacques Cartier a Born 1491 Died 1557 SS4H2 Describe European exploration in North America. a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, and English explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Nunez Balboa, Juan Ponce de Leon, Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier. a

Early Years Jacques Cartier was born in the seaport of Saint Malo, France. He studied navigation. He became a highly respected navigator. A navigator is a person who plots the course of a ship.

In less than 3 weeks, he was sailing down the coast of Newfoundland. In 1531, Francis I of France commissioned Cartier to look for the Northwest Passage. Cartier got 2 small ships and 61 crew members. He left Saint Malo in April. In less than 3 weeks, he was sailing down the coast of Newfoundland. He named Canada, “Kanata,” which means village in the Huron- Iroquois language.

In Search for the Northwest Passage As he sailed, he discovered the Magdalen and Prince Edward Islands. He crossed the Gaspe Peninsula and took possession of it for France. On his second voyage in 1535, the king of France sent him out again. He sailed up the St. Lawrence River and discovered Mont Real (Mount Royal) which is now Montreal, Canada.

He and his crew spent the winter at an Indian village near Quebec, where Cartier watched 25 of his men die of scurvy. The natives were generous to him but he betrayed them. He kidnapped 12 indians, including their chief, and heading straight to France! Cartier hoped that his prisoners would tell him where their gold mine was located, but there really was no gold mine.

Last Voyage to the New World In 1541, his third expedition was to help build a colony in Canada. He failed to find enough French colonists willing to give up their life to live in the New World. The French government offered prisoners freedom to go on journey.

Cartier slipped back to France and left Roberval, a fellow explorer stranded in New France with a colony of robbers and murderers. He never found the Northwest Passage but he discovered the St. Lawrence River which led to many future explorations by France. French Explorer Roberval

What obstacles did he encounter? He had to watch some of his men die of scurvy. He never found the Northwest Passage.