Early Explorers of Canada

Vikings (Leif Eriksson)

• Sailed For: Themselves

• Date of Exploration: ~1,000 AD

Vikings

Story• Leif Eriksson (son of Eric the Red) needed

to get away from the king of Norway• Explored the east coast of Canada• Three landfalls

– Helluland– Markland– Vinland

Vikings

• Killed “skrealings” – the Native people of the area

• “Skrealings” drove the Vikings off the land

Vikings

Giovani Caboto (John Cabot)

• Sailed For: England

• Date of Explorations: 1497

Giovani Cabot (John Cabot)

Story:• Was looking for the Northwest Passage• Reached Newfoundland – claimed it for

England• Story of fish would draw fishermen from

Europe• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=261-NYB7Sko&feature=relmfu&s

afety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Giovani Cabot (John Cabot)Map of Explorations:

Jacques Cartier

• Sailed For: France

• Date of Explorations: 1534, 1535, 1541

Jacques Cartier

Story:• Discovered and named the St. Lawrence River• Kidnapped two Native men (the sons of the

chief) and took them to France where they died• Responsible for the name “Canada” being given

to the area• “Canada” is a Native word that means “the

village”

Jacques Cartier Map of Explorations

Martin Frobisher

• Sailed For: England

• Date of Exploration:1576

Martin Frobisher

Story• One-time privateer• Thought he could find the Northwest

Passage• On his last voyage to Canada he took a

kayak, an Inuit and a shipload of “gold ore”• Huge controversy in England about the

ore – found to be iron pyrite (fool’s gold)

Martin Frobisher

Map of Explorations

Samuel de Champlain

• Sailed For: France

• Date of Explorations: 1603, 1608

Samuel de Champlain

Story:• Explored the St. Lawrence River as far as

present-day Montreal• Founded Quebec City (1608)• First winter, most of his men died• Kirk brothers attempted to kill him• Returned to France, but finally came back to

Quebec where he died• Called “the father of New France”

Samuel de Champlain Map of Explorations

Henry Hudson

• Sailed For: England

• Date of Exploration: 1610

Henry HudsonStory• Controversial as a captain, Admiralty loved him,

crews often hated him• Looking for the Northwest Passage• 1610 sailed into Hudson Bay, iced up• Crew begged him to turn around, but he

refused, spent the winter there• Crew mutinied (only crew in British history

found not guilty at trial)

Henry Hudson

Map of Explorations