Jacques Cartier

Bonjour! My name is Jacques Cartier, and I want to tell you the story of my adventures. I was born in 1491 in a busy port town called Saint-Malo in France. Growing up, I was always surrounded by the sights and sounds of the sea. I watched tall ships with great white sails come and go, and I could smell the salty air everywhere. All I dreamed of was sailing across the great, mysterious ocean to discover new lands and see what wonders were waiting on the other side of the world.

In 1534, the King of France, Francis I, gave me a very important job. He believed there was a new, faster route to Asia by sailing west, and he wanted me to find it. The king also hoped I would find treasures like gold and spices that would make our country wealthy. So, on April 20th, 1534, my crew and I set sail on two ships, heading into the unknown. After a few weeks at sea, we reached a vast new land, which is now part of Canada. We met some of the first people of this land, the Indigenous peoples. On July 24th, I planted a large wooden cross on the Gaspé Peninsula to claim the territory for France, a common practice for explorers of my time.

The next year, in 1535, I returned on a second voyage, determined to explore further. This time, we sailed up a mighty river, which I named the St. Lawrence River. As we traveled, the local Iroquoian people we met were helpful. When we asked about the area, they would point to their village, or 'kanata.' I heard this word often, and from it, a new country would one day get its name: Canada. We traveled up the river to their villages of Stadacona and Hochelaga. We decided to stay for the winter, but it was much colder and harsher than we had ever expected. Many of my men got a terrible sickness called scurvy because we did not have enough fresh food. The Iroquoians were kind and showed us how to make a special tea from the leaves of an evergreen tree that healed us. It was a sad time, however, when I decided to bring their chief, Donnacona, and a few others back with me to France to meet the king; they were never able to return to their home.

I sailed on a third and final voyage for France in 1541. The mission this time was different; the plan was to start a French colony where people from France could come to live. During my time there, I was sure I had finally found the treasures the king was hoping for. I found rocks that sparkled beautifully in the sun, and I filled my ship with what I believed were real gold and diamonds. I was so excited to bring this great wealth back to France. But when I returned home, I learned the disappointing truth. The 'gold' was just a shiny rock called pyrite, sometimes known as 'fool's gold,' and the 'diamonds' were a common crystal called quartz. People in France even made up a saying to make fun of my mistake: 'as fake as a Canadian diamond.'

Even though I didn't find a path to Asia or a mountain of gold, my journeys were very important for history. I retired to my home in France and lived to be 65 years old. People remember me because I was the first European to map the great St. Lawrence River, and my use of the word 'kanata' led to the country being named Canada. My maps and stories helped other explorers who came after me and opened up a whole new part of the world for France, changing the map of the world forever.