War in Europe stalled plans for another expedition, which finally went forward in 1541. The purpose of the voyage was to find a northwest passage to Asia, as well as to collect riches such as gold and spices along the way. That year, the government of King Francis I of France commissioned Cartier to lead an expedition to the “northern lands,” as the east coast of North America was then known. Jacques Cartier’s First North American VoyageĬartier was believed to have traveled to Brazil and Newfoundland before 1534. He gained a reputation as a skilled navigator prior to making his three famous voyages to North America.
Born in Saint-Malo, France, Cartier began sailing as a young man. Lawrence River would later enable France to lay claim to the lands that would become Canada. Cartier’s three expeditions along the St. In 1534, France’s King Francis I authorized the navigator Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) to lead a voyage to the New World in order to seek gold and other riches, as well as a new route to Asia. Jacques Cartier’s First North American Voyage.
