Initial Penetration of the St. Lawrence Valley 1534 to 1583

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Abstract

The third phase of exploration in what is now Canada consisted of the initial penetration of the St. Lawrence valley. This was initiated by Jacques Cartier in two voyages - 1534 and 1535 to 1536. Bellenger (1583) made a later voyage of exploration extending Cartier's knowledge. The map also shows the extent of territory known to Europeans in the period 1497 to 1650; and the navigation of all exploration routes during the period of maritime exploration between 1497 and 1599. The historical names found on the map are derived from contemporaneous maps and written documents of the period.

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French interest in finding a passage to Asia and the gold and other riches to be found there, was renewed ten years after the inconclusive Verrazano voyage. The man chosen for the task by François I, King of France was Jacques Cartier, a mariner from St. Malo who had had some experience in Newfoundland waters. Cartier made three expeditions to find a passage to the west. The first expedition led to the discovery of the wealthy "Kingdom of Saguenay". The second expedition, which penetrated to Montréal Island, terminated with a gruesome winter near Québec. In spite of this experience, a third expedition, under the leadership of Roberval, was organized with the aims of establishing a colony, the conquest of the Saguenay and the beginning of missionary activities. Further disastrous winters in 1541 to 1542 and 1542 1543 and a cargo of 'diamonds' and 'gold', which turned out to be quartz and pyrite, put an end to French colonizing efforts on the St. Lawrence until the seventeenth century.

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Cartier Arrives in Quebec

Soon after Cartier's and Roberval's return to France, Spanish and French Basques opened up the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Chateau Bay (in southern Labrador) and Pointe Natashquan to whaling. Other fishermen, principally French, Basques, Normans and Bretons, were engaged in fishing and sealing throughout the eastern reaches of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, especially near its islands. It is likely that they also engaged in incidental fur trading with the Micmacs. In 1583, Étiênne Bellenger explored and traded on the coast of Nova Scotia and New England. His attempt to establish a base for further operations came to naught but the profits he derived from his voyage inspired others to organize major ventures.

Although none of the grandiose aims of the major French expeditions materialized, the St. Lawrence had been explored and roughly mapped to the Lachine Rapids. By the 1540s the Gulf area had been opened for fishing and after 1570s occasional voyages were made for furs.

Voyages of Exploration

An audio description for each voyage of exploration shown on this map can be accessed from the list below or through the map using Get Statistics.

• 1534 Jacques Cartier (of St. Malo, France; for France)
• 1535 to 1536 Jacques Cartier (of St. Malo, France; for France)
• 1583 Étiênne Bellenger (of Rouen, France, for France)

The descriptions of the voyages of exploration are based on research by C.E. Heidenreich, Department of Geography, York University. An audio version of each description can be played as the user follows the exploration route made by the explorer on the map.

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