Top 20 Amazing Facts about Jacques Cartier

Top 20 Amazing Facts about Jacques Cartier

*Originally published by John K in August 2022, Updated by Vanessa R. in August 2023, and Updated by Nellian in May 2024.

Jacques Cartier is one of the most famous explorers of all time born on 31 December 1491 in Saint-Malo in the Duchy of Brittany.

He died on 1 September 1557 in Saint-Malo then part of the Kingdom of France aged 65 years of age of Typhus.

Cartier was a French-born navigator who made important discoveries in North America and was the first explorer to claim Canada for the Kingdom of France.

Cartier had an impact on Canada which persists to date.

The top 20 amazing facts about Jacques Cartier include the following.

1. Before His First Voyage Jacques Cartier Built His Reputation

Saint-Malo. Photo by W. Bulach. Wikimedia Commons

Jacques Cartier was born in Saint-Malo, the port on the northeast coast of Brittany, in 1491 and was a respectable navigator.

Before going on his first voyage, Cartier improved his social status by marrying Mary Catherine des Granches who was a member of a leading aristocratic family in 1520.

His good name appears frequently in baptismal registers as godfather or witness in Saint-Malo which attests to his good reputation in the society.

2. The King Commissioned a Cartier to Explore North America on his First Voyage

King Francis I. Photo by anonymous. Wikimedia Commons

Cartier was introduced to King Francis I by Jean Le Veneur, bishop of Saint-Malo and abbot of Mont Saint-Michel, at the Manoir de Brion in 1534.

Jean Le Veneur told the king that Cartier could lead ships to the New World to discover new lands.

He cited to the King Cartier’s voyages to Newfoundland and Brazil as proof of that ability.

 Cartier set sail hoping to discover a western passage to the wealthy markets of Asia under a commission from the King on April 20^th, 1534. 

Cartier was commissioned to discover certain islands and lands which had large quantities of gold and other precious things according to the specific words of the commission.

During this voyage he encountered a party of St. Lawrence Iroquoians on the shores of Gaspé Bay. 

He planted a 10-metre cross bearing the words “Long Live the King of France” to claim the land for France.

Cartier returned to France in September 1534 when ended his first voyage.

3. Cartier’s Second Voyage Was the Most Profitable

Lachine Rapids. Photo by TCY. Wikimedia Commons

Cartier’s second voyage which took place on May 19^th, 1535 was the most profitable.

Armed with 110 men including two Iroquoian captives he had captured during his first voyage, Cartier embarked on a voyage to Canada with three ships.

On reaching St. Lawrence, he sailed upriver for the first time and reached the Iroquoian capital where the Iroquoian chief Donnacona ruled called Stadacona.

Cartier sailed to Hochelaga (now Montreal) arriving there on October 2, 1535, using the smallest of the three ships as he had left his main ships in a harbor close to Stadacona. 

A crowd of over a thousand came to the river edge to greet the Frenchmen as Hochelaga was far more impressive than the small and squalid village of Stadacona. Rapids in the river prevented Cartier from sailing further.

The rapids were later named the Lachine Rapids and the town that grew there was named Lachine, Quebec as Cartier was certain that the river was the Northwest passageway to China.

Severe winter conditions and an outbreak of scurvy killed about 50 of the local Iroquoians and a large number of the Frenchmen.

Cartier therefore returned to France the following year. The second voyage was the most successful voyage that Cartier undertook.

4. Cartier’s Third Voyage Was Largely Unsuccessful

Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval. Photo by Jean Clouet. Wikimedia Commons

Both King Francis I of France and Spain wanted to claim Canada as their colony following a war in Europe.

Jacques Cartier was appointed as the chief navigator to Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval who was commissioned to undertake a third voyage to Canada by King Francis I.

Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval was named by the King as the first lieutenant general of French Canada over Jacques Cartier because he was a Huguenot courtier and friend of the king.

Roberval sent Cartier ahead of him as he waited for artillery and supplies. 

The voyage was unsuccessful as he encountered winter which was difficult to bear and he could not sail further than where he reached during his first voyage due to rapids. 

He discovered what he initially believed to be gold and diamonds but later discovered were crystals of quartz and iron pyrites. 

5. Cartier Was the First to Claim Canada To Be a French Colony

During his second voyage to Canada, Cartier claimed the country as a French colony belonging to France.

He had also claimed the country as belonging to France during his first voyage when on 24^th July 1534 he planted a cross on Gaspe Bay’s shore during his time in Quebec.

He claimed the land as belonging to the King of France when he planted a 10-meter cross bearing the words “Long Live the King of France”.

6. The First Person to Document The name “Canada” Was Jacques Cartier

The name “Canada” was concocted by Cartier after misinterpreting the Huron/Iroquois word for village, which was ‘Kanata’ thereby becoming the first person to document “Canada”.

In 1545 Cartier’s secretary Jehan Poullet wrote the “Bref récit’’ which turned out to be the first documented use of the name “Canada”.

Cartier used the name Canada to describe Stadacona, the surrounding land, and the river initially. 

The name was later used to describe the French colony that occupied the areas that Cartier and other explorers after him claimed for France. 

The name was adopted for the rest of the country in 1867 which was many years after Cartier.

7. The First European To Navigate St. Lawrence River Was Cartier

St. Lawrence River. Photo by G. Lamar. Wikimedia Commons

The first European to navigate and map the St Lawrence River was Jacques Cartier which he did during his voyages. 

He was also the first European to discover the interior eastern region along the St Lawrence River where he went as far as modern-day Montreal.

His contribution to the discovery of Canada was limited to that even though some claim he was the first European to discover Canada.

8. Cartier Retired and Published A Book Called Bref Récit in 1545

Jacques Cartier announced his retirement in 1545 just three years after returning from his last voyage in 1542. 

With the help of his secretary Jehan Poullet, Cartier published a book which he titled Bref Récit.

In the book he used the name “Canada” to describe the areas he visited during his voyages namely  Stadacona, the surrounding land, and the St. Lawrence River.  The inhabitants of the regions he called them Canadiens.

9. Cartier Is One of The Most Significant Figures in The History of Canada

 Jacques Cartier’s influence on Canada remains undeniable to date. Hundreds of statues and buildings have been named in his honor in both France and Canada.

He originated the name “Canada” which is the name the country is identified with and the name Canadians which is the name he gave to the inhabitants of the French colony at the time.

Cartier died in St Malo in 1557 at the age of 65 from typhus of which there was an outbreak at that time.

10. Cartier Opened Up the Greatest Waterway for Penetration of North America By Europeans

Cartier opened up the greatest waterway for the penetration of Europeans into North America by locating the entrance to St. Lawrence during his first and second voyages.

Albeit with considerable exaggeration, he produced an intelligent estimate of the resources of Canada, both natural and human.

He at times established friendships with the St. Lawrence Iroquoians and other natives living along the river even though at times his actions toward the Iroquoians were dishonorable.

11. Jacques Cartier Worked With Several Indigenous Peoples

Batchelor, Lawrence R., 1887-1961., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Mi’kmaq and the St. Lawrence Iroquoians were two of the Indigenous groups that Jacques Cartier met on his travels to Canada. While the St. Lawrence Iroquoians were a group of Indigenous people who lived in the valley of the St. Lawrence River, the Mi’kmaq were a First Nations people who lived in what is now eastern Canada, particularly the region around the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Cartier interacted with some of these people on his trips and established trading relationships with others. Yet, there were conflicts with some native peoples, notably battles with St. Lawrence Iroquoians that claimed the lives of several French sailors.

12. Jacques Cartier Began His Career as a Sailor by Working on Fishing Vessels

Jacques Cartier started his career as a sailor at the age of 16 by working on fishing boats that plied the waters off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

He was able to gain a wealth of knowledge as a sailor and seaman during his early years at sea, which he would later find to be extremely helpful on his exploratory voyages.

13. Cartier Embarked on Three Separate Expeditions to Canada

DenisStPierre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jacques Cartier traveled to Canada on three different occasions between the years 1534 and 1542.

During his first journey, which took place in 1534, he undertook a reconnaissance mission and looked at the eastern coast of Canada and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. He continued his investigation of the St. Lawrence River during his second expedition, which took place between 1535 and 1536, and he also built a town he called Charlesbourg-Royal. He attempted, but ultimately failed, to establish a permanent settlement during his third journey, which took place between 1541 and 1542.

14. He was Knighted for His Accomplishments

Jacques Cartier was knighted by King Francis I of France for his achievements in Canada. French claims to the area were strengthened by Cartier’s explorations, opening the way for further French discovery and settlement. King Francis I knighted Cartier in appreciation for his work, and he also received a pension and other benefits.

The title of knight, or “chevalier” in French, was a great honor in medieval and early modern Europe, and it symbolized Cartier’s status as a fearless and skilled explorer.

15. Cartier’s Interaction With the Iroquoian Peoples Was Resourceful

Laslovarga, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Jacques gained success with his explorations because of interacting with the local communities. The Iroquoian peoples were helpful during the expedition of the St. Lawrence region.

He developed relations with the residents of Stadacona, now Quebec City in 1534. After winning the residents’ trust, they provided Cartier with valuable information about the region’s geography and resources. Thus helping him navigate challenges and learn survival techniques.

16. He Lost the Trust Of the Iroquoian Peoples at Some Point

Jacques Cartier culminated his second voyage in modern-day Quebec City (then Stadacona) by taking the region’s leaders to France. He captured the chief of St. Lawrence Iroquois, Chief Donnacona, among other leaders to meet King Francis I.

Though Donnacona was treated well at the king’s expense while in France, he never returned to his homeland. He died while in France in 1539. The news was not received well by his community leading to a loss of trust between Iroquoian Peoples and Cartier.

17. Cartier’s Second Voyage Was Marked With Hardships

Cartier’s journal records narrate that his French team wintered in Canada during his second voyage (1535-1536). During the harsh weather, many French sailors died of scurvy. Later, Cartier was taught by the locals a remedy for the disease.

18. He Returned to Quebec For a Third Voyage

Library and Archives Canada, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Amid a broken trust between Cartier and the Iroquoian tribe, Cartier still returned for a third exploration in the area in May 1541. Though the community was unhappy with Cartier following the capture of Donnacona and nine others from the community in 1536, it did not stop his mission. His third expedition lasted a year ending in May 1542.

19. The Report of His Second Voyage Sits in the British Museum Today

In 1545, a report of Cartier’s second voyage was printed in France. Today, it is displayed at the British Museum. Most of the excerpts showcased here are from Richard Hakluyt’s translation, which the English writer published between 1589 and 1600.

20. Montréal City Earned its Name Thanks to Cartier

BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On October 3, 1535, Cartier climbed the mountain on the Île de Montréal. He named it Mont-Royal. Thus the name Montréal is believed to originate from Cartier’s “Mont Royal”.

The reference was used by others such as people Italian geographer Giovanni Battista Ramusio.  Giovanni wrote “Monte Real” referring to Mont-Royal on his 1556 map of Hochelega.

Cartier’s explorations contributed to the European understanding of North America’s geography. This laid a foundation for further explorations and colonization of the region. Thus his legacy lives on.