Join us as we chart the voyages of Jacques Cartier, the explorer from Saint-Malo who became the first European to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and travel inland in North America. In this episode, we follow Cartier’s three expeditions commissioned by King Francis I, where he sought a western passage to Asian markets and precious metals.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• The "Country of Canadas": How Cartier applied the Huron-Iroquois word for village (kanata) to the entire territory, permanently naming the land.
• Encounters and Kidnappings: The complex relationship with the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, including the kidnapping of Chief Donnacona and his sons to present them to the French King.
• Surviving the Winter: The harrowing winter of 1535 at Stadac ...