USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Cartier’s initial exploration goal was to find the Northwest Passage. When Cartier claimed Quebec for France, he actually believed he had found Asia. Cartier believed that if he could cross the rapids of the St. Lawrence River, he could find a shortcut home.

Detailed explanation-2: -During that first expedition, he explored the western coast of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence as far as today’s Anticosti Island, which Cartier called Assomption. He is also credited with the discovery of what is now known as Prince Edward Island.

Detailed explanation-3: -Overview. Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) explored northern North America with hopes of finding gold and precious metals, and possibly a cross-continental passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He never realized those goals, but he did find something of great value: a water passage into Canada’s interior.

Detailed explanation-4: -Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas” after the Iroquoian names for the two big settlements he saw at Stadacona (Quebec City) and at Hochelaga (Montreal Island).