Term Paper on Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) lived in the 16th century in which the highest
numbers of explorations were made. The number was totaled at 22 according to the
Encyclopedia of World History. Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, was born in
1491 in Saint Malo, France. There is no enough information available about the
early years of his life. It was only in 1534, when his first journey, in which
he explored Saint Lawrence River, brought him name and fame in history. The main
objective of his trip was to discover a sea route to China, which was the dream
of many explorers of the time.
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The main goal was to discover the gold and silver deposits and sweet smelling
herbs and spices grown in the east. However, like Columbus, Cartier landed
instead in North America. On his maiden voyage started in April 1534, he crossed
Atlantic in only 20 days and landed on an island near to the coast of
Newfoundland. From there he sailed northward to the Strait of Belle Island and
then into the Bay of St. Lawrence and further to Magdalen Island and Price
Edward Island. He further traveled to Chaleur Bay and Gaspe Peninsula but was
disappointed to know that it was not a passage to China on which he was aimed
at. After exploring Anticosti Island he returned to France. In 1535, he started
his second journey. This time he sailed through Strait of Belle Island and via
St. Lawrence reached Stadacona (present day Québec). He thus, became the first
European to discover the region of Canada, which is currently known as Québec,
in 1535. Cartier returned to France on May 6, 1536.
Since the expeditions in those times were mostly financed by the rulers of the
respective countries, it was the king of France who sponsored his voyages. The
King of France, François I was highly interested to establish a French colony in
Canada. For this purpose, he organized an expedition in 1541 under the
leadership of Jean-Francois de la Rocque, sieur de Roberval. The king send
Cartier with the team to discover “certain islands and lands where it is said
there are great quantities of gold and other riches”, and if possible, the route
to Asia. This was the third and final voyage for Cartier. This time he went to
Stadacona and Hochelaga. Because of the unfavorable conditions, he went back to
France and abandoned traveling. He lived on his estate at St. Malo until his
death in 1557.
Cartier was the first person who informed the Europeans about St. Lawrence River
and its surrounding geography. Another contribution of Cartier was the discovery
of Cabot Strait and the information about Newfoundland that it is a single large
island and not a group of islands. During his three voyages, he could not
fulfill his primary objectives and goals that were assigned to him by the
Emperor. All he could discover in the name of riches were pieces of quartz and
iron pyrite (fool’s gold). He also could not find out the route to Cathay
(China). But besides his failure in attaining his main objectives, the
discoveries of Cartier are of crucial importance for his successors. The area of
Québec he discovered is a French-speaking area in Canada till date. The only
description of his voyages that was published during his lifetime was Récit et
succincte in 1545. Cartier’s major contribution was that he assigned names to a
number of Canadian territories of which some are still in vogue. These names
exist in at least five provinces that touch the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Some of
the surviving names are Grand Quirpon, Cap St. Pierre (Magdalen Islands), Baie
des Chaleurs (New Brunswick), Cape Rouge, Chateau Bay etc.
In the times when Cartier lived, the means of communication were not as
developed as they currently are. Like all his successors, contemporaries and
predecessors, he also conducted his explorations using the amenities available
at that time. Though he could not attain his main goals and aims (perhaps that
was the reason he abandoned traveling) but still he made considerable
contributions to the history of expedition. In commemoration of his achievements
many streets, bridges and ships in Québec and France are named after him.
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