9. Cartier's third and final voyage - 1541-1542
Jacques Cartier bows out of the pages of history with his final voyage to Canada
Updated: February 24, 2024
For all that Jacques Cartier achieved on his voyages to Canada, his third and last voyage (1541-1542)1 remains a disappointment compared to his stellar, albeit mixed, achievements on his first and second voyages.2
The task set for him on this voyage was to establish France’s first settlement in the new world. I find his third mission hard to comprehend. First, I do not believe Cartier knew exactly how he was going to achieve this. For one thing, his stock and trade were a navigator not settlement builder. On this voyage he managed to undermine the trust the people of Canada had in him and his crew. His unwillingness or inability to understand the mindset and world view of the inhabitants of Canada worked against him, despite his brilliant attention to details as recorded in his previous voyages. For his third and last voyage, the records begin well and then abruptly ends without explanation.
Granted, unlike previous journeys, he was n…
