(1491–1557). Like other European explorers before him, Jacques Cartier set sail westward from Europe to find a shortcut to Asia. He also set out to find gold and spices. He found none of those things. Instead, he was probably the first European to find and explore Canada's Saint Lawrence River.

Early life

Jacques Cartier was born in 1491 in Saint-Malo, France. The city lies on a piece of French land called Brittany, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Little is known about his youth, but he probably spent some time as a sailor. In about 1534, King Francis I of France asked Cartier to lead an expedition to North America.

First Voyage

On April 20, 1534, Cartier sailed with two ships and 61 men from the French port of Saint-Malo. Cartier's ships entered the Atlantic Ocean and sailed westward. After 20 days, he sighted a small island near Newfoundland, a large island off the eastern coast of Canada. From there, he led his two ships into what is now called the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Cartier explored some of the land around the gulf. He did not enter the Saint Lawrence River, which led southwestward from the gulf. But he did meet some American Indians in the area. They included members of the Huron tribe, including their chief, Donnacona, and his two sons. Cartier and his crew soon sailed back to France, taking Donnacona's two sons with them.

Second Voyage

Cartier and Donnacona's sons spent eight months in France. During that time, the sons learned some French. The idea was to train the men as interpreters for a return voyage. In May 1535 Cartier, with three ships and 110 men, set sail on that return voyage. This time, Cartier sailed deeper into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and into the Saint Lawrence River.

After following the river inland for about 260 miles (420 kilometers), Cartier reached the Huron village of Stadacona. Today, the Canadian city of Quebec stands near that place. Cartier met Donnacona there and returned his two sons.

After an icy winter, during which some of his men died, Cartier set out for home. When he reached France, he reported that the native people had told him of treasures that lay farther inland. Therefore, plans were made for a third voyage.

Third Voyage

A war with Spain delayed the third voyage for five years. Finally, in 1541, Cartier once again crossed the Atlantic Ocean. This time the king had ordered a French nobleman to set up a colony in North America with Cartier's help.

Cartier arrived before the nobleman and did some more exploring. He hoped to find the riches that the Indians had told him about. After another terrible winter, Cartier met the nobleman at Newfoundland. Ordered to stay in Canada, Cartier instead headed back to France with treasures he thought were gold and diamonds. The gold turned out to be a mineral called pyrite, or fool's gold. The “diamonds” were nothing more than a common mineral called quartz.

Death

Very little is known about Cartier's life other than his three voyages to Canada. After the third voyage, he never returned to North America. He died near Saint-Malo on September 1, 1557.