Jacques Cartier
1491–1557 · French (Saint-Malo) · Age of Discovery
Known for: French explorer who claimed Canada for France and explored the St. Lawrence River, giving the country its name
Cartier was a Breton sailor who made three voyages to Canada, exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the river itself, reaching the sites of modern Quebec City and Montreal. His accounts gave Canada its name—possibly from the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning 'village.'
He kidnapped indigenous Iroquoian people to bring to France as evidence of his discoveries—none survived to return. He was seeking the Northwest Passage and gold, finding neither. He was tough, resourceful, and not particularly concerned with the welfare of indigenous peoples.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.