Editing Jacques Cartier (section)

==First voyage (1534)==
In 1534, two years after the [[Duchy of Brittany]] was formally united with the French crown in the [[Union between Brittany and France|Edict of Union]], Cartier was introduced to King [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] by [[Jean Le Veneur]], [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishop]] of Saint-Malo and [[abbot]] of [[Mont Saint-Michel]], at the [[Manoir de Brion]]. The King had previously invited (although not formally commissioned) the [[Florence|Florentine]] explorer [[Giovanni da Verrazzano]] to explore the eastern coast of North America on behalf of France in 1524.<ref>[[Gustave Lanctôt]] observed that Cartier was absent from Saint-Malo's registers at the time and that his first voyage in 1534 arrived at the very place in Newfoundland where Verrazzano's explorations had ended ten years prior; Lanctôt surmised that Cartier had accompanied Verrazzano on that voyage. This was dismissed as conjecture by [[Marcel Trudel]], who noted that Cartier's ''Relations'' are devoid of any reference to such an experience. See Trudel, ''Histoire de la Nouvelle-France'', vol. 1, 1966, p. 58–60.</ref> Le Veneur cited voyages to Newfoundland and Brazil as proof of Cartier's ability to "lead ships to the discovery of new lands in the New World".<ref>Baron de La Chapelle, « Jean Le Veneur et le Canada », Nova Francia, vol. 6, 1931, pp. 341–343, quoting a genealogical work made in 1723 for the Le Veneur family. After his final trip, he said he would never search again.</ref><ref name="The Explorers Jacques Cartier 1534-1542">{{cite web |title=The Explorers Jacques Cartier 1534-1542 |url=https://www.museedelhistoire.ca/musee-virtuel-de-la-nouvelle-france/les-explorateurs/jacques-cartier-1534-1542/ |publisher=Canadian Museum of History |access-date=6 September 2024 |quote=Jacques Cartier was a sufficiently experienced navigator to be asked by Francis I to undertake the official exploration of North America. There is no doubt that he was already familiar with the sea route that he took in 1534}}</ref>

[[File:Cartier First Voyage Map 1.png|thumb|left|upright=1.8|Route of Cartier's first voyage]]

On April 20, 1534,<ref>{{cite book|author=Tracy, Frank Basil|date=1908|url=https://archive.org/stream/tercentenaryhis01trac#page/24/mode/2up|title=The Tercentenary History of Canada|publisher=P.F. Collier & Sons|location=New York, Toronto}}</ref> Cartier set sail under a commission from the king, hoping to discover a [[Northwest Passage|western passage]] to the wealthy markets of the East Indies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=J. P. B. |date=1901-05-25 |title=Jacques Cartier's Voyage Of 1534 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nq/s9-vii.178.409a |journal=Notes and Queries |volume=s9-VII |issue=178 |pages=409–409 |doi=10.1093/nq/s9-vii.178.409a |issn=1471-6941}}</ref> In the words of the commission, he was to "discover certain islands and lands where it is said that a great quantity of gold and other precious things are to be found".{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

It took him twenty days to sail across the ocean. Starting on May 10 of that year, he explored parts of [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], the [[Strait of Belle Isle]] and southern shore of the [[Labrador Peninsula]], the [[Gaspé Peninsula|Gaspé]] and [[North Shore (New Brunswick)|North Shore]] coastlines on the [[Gulf of St. Lawrence]], and some parts of the coasts of the Gulf's main islands, including [[Prince Edward Island]], [[Anticosti Island]] and the [[Magdalen Islands]]. During one stop at Îles aux Oiseaux (Islands of the Birds, now the Rochers-aux-Oiseaux federal [[bird sanctuary]], northeast of [[Brion Island]] in the Magdalen Islands), his crew slaughtered around 1000 birds, most of them [[great auk]]s (extinct since 1852). Cartier's first two encounters with [[aboriginal peoples in Canada]] on the north side of [[Chaleur Bay]], most likely the [[Mi'kmaq people|Mi'kmaq]], were brief; some trading occurred.

His third encounter took place on the shores of [[Gaspé Bay]] with a party of [[St. Lawrence Iroquoians]], where on July 24 he planted a cross to claim the land for France.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Seed|first1=Patricia|title=Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest of the New World: 1492–1640|date=1995|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=56}}</ref> The 10-metre cross bearing the words "Long Live the King of France" claimed possession of the territory in the King's name. The change in mood was a clear indication that the Iroquoians understood Cartier's actions. Here he kidnapped the two sons of their chief, [[Donnacona]].<ref>Some accounts make this captain to be Donnacona himself, the ruler at Stadacona, e.g. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002354 the ''Canadian Encyclopedia''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129032131/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002354 |date=29 November 2011 }}, but this does not seem possible from Cartier's firsthand accounts. Other sources show that Donnacona let his sons go willingly, along with some corn. [http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar097600&st=jacques+cartier the ''World Book Online Encyclopedia'']{{tertiary source|date=September 2023}}</ref> Cartier wrote that they later told him this region where they were captured (Gaspé) was called by them ''Honguedo''. The natives' chief at last agreed that they could be taken, under the condition that they return with European goods to trade.<ref>{{cite DCB |title=Cartier, Jacques |first=Marcel |last=Trudel |volume=1 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cartier_jacques_1491_1557_1E.html}}</ref>

Cartier returned to France in September 1534, sure that he had reached an Asian land.