71 Jacques Cartier Facts For Kids: Learn More About The Explorer

Jacques Carter, the famous French mariner, was born in 1491.

The birthplace of this explorer is Saint-Malo. This is a post located on the northeastern side of the coast of Brittany.

There were many respectable and well-known mariners in history, like Cartier. After Cartier's voyage to Canada, there was no permanent settlement before 1605. This was when Samuel Champlain found Port Royal, known as Victoria Beach, in the present day, which is just outside Annapolis Royal.

Are you a globetrotter just like Jacques Cartier? Then you will surely like more such articles, including Henry Hudson facts and Marco Polo facts here at Kidadl!

Fun Facts About Jacques Cartier

Marco Polo, Amerigo Vespucci, and John Cabot are some of the most well-known explorers in our history. Jacques Cartier was a mariner with plans to set colonies in eastern Canada. Hence, he is significant in the history of Canada.

Cartier had planted a cross on the Gaspe Bay shore on July 1534. This cross was engraved saying Long Live the King of France. When he went for his voyage in 1534 to Canada, he also explored Newfoundland and went up along the St. Lawrence river.

When Jacques Cartier sailed to the country of name Canada for the first time, he and his crew kidnapped two native men and took them with them back to France. Those two men were the sons of the chief of Iroquoian.

This happened in 1535 on his trip back to Canada. Along with his crew, Jacques Cartier was stuck in Stadacona, the capital of Iroquois, in the winter, which lasted from 1535-1536. Most of the crew that went there had developed scurvy due to the climate and lack of nutrients.

The majority of the people who got affected by scurvy could recover using the local remedies. One of the remedies uses boiled white spruce tree bark.

When Cartier returned to his country in France, the Iroquoian chief told the king about a mythical city with mounds of gold and precious goods. When Jacques Cartier returned to Canada in 1540, he had plans to build a colony.

The other crew went in search of the mythical kingdom called Saguenay. But after searching, they settled in Charlesbourg-Royal, called Cap-rouge today!

Facts About Jacques Cartier's Discoveries

European countries like France and England wanted to go and discover new places to find wealth and other resources to make their own country rich and have usable resources for themselves and their citizens.

Jacques Cartier had married Catherine Des Branches, and this was his small family. Even though they did not have children, Cartier is famous among children due to his accomplishments in life.

Jacques Cartier is influential due to his discoveries during his voyages. When he went on his first expedition, he explored the coast of Newfoundland as well as the gulf of St. Lawrence.

He also went as far as what he called Assomption, today known as Anticosti Island. He also discovered (first European) the land which is today called Prince Edward Island.

Some fun facts for kids include that, after a lot of experience, Cartier became a very advanced sailor and navigator. It is also believed that Giovanni da Verrazzano was joined by Cartier on his New World voyages, which happened in 1524 and also in 1528.

Portuguese and Spanish sailors went to Newfoundland to get wealth, gold, and other resources. King Frances of France also wanted to find a connecting route and hence chose Cartier to lead this huge venture.

Facts About Jacques Cartier's Voyages

There were many great voyagers in the world. One of them was Vasco Da Gama, who was a Portuguese sailor. He was the one who connected Asia to Europe by a sea passage that went through the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

The first trip made by Jacques Cartier was on April 20, 1534, when he set sail under the order of the king. Jacques Cartier aimed to discover a passageway on the western side of the country that would give the country's market a way to bring goods from Asia.

In the words of the king himself, Cartier was to discover a land where gold, along with other precious things, are found.

Jacques Cartier made his second trip on May 19, the following year. He took three ships and 110 men with him on those voyages. Cartier also took two captivated people with him. After going along the Lawrence River, Cartier reached Stadacona, which was the capital of Iroquoian. Here, Chief Donnacona was the ruler.

On October 17, 1540, Francis ordered Jacques Cartier to return to Canada to set weight on the new colonies as a captain-general on his third trip. However, in the end, Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval was named as the first lieutenant general of French Canada. So, he was the one who led Cartier. 

Facts About Jacques Cartier's Childhood

Voyagers are people who go on long trips, especially on ships. In history, voyagers have often been associated with explorers due to their exploration. A voyage can be called a trip to a faraway land, and people who go on these trips are also called voyagers. Cartier was also one such voyager.

The good sailor (Cartier) was born in 1491 in a port town in Brittany, France. His father was Jamet Cartier, and his mother was Geseline Jansart.

Nothing is known about Jacques Cartier and his life prior to when his exploration began. His hometown is a French town and a fishing spot in the north of France. So, it is believed that this French explorer must have learned his sailing and navigation skills while growing up around those French people.

Many scholars say that Jacques Cartier went sailing to Brazil when he was young. However, such beliefs have no specific evidence to support them.

Later in his life, he married and therefore improved his social standing in society by marrying a leading member of the royal family by the name of Mary Catherine Des Branches. Ever since he became popular, his name in his country has been recognized by its common occurrence as godfather or witness in baptismal registers.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 71 Jacques Cartier facts for kids, then why not take a look at Andre Derain facts or Andrea Joseph facts!