Exploration, Fisheries, and Trade 

Exploration to increase wealth, made easier by inventions and discoveries:

At the beginning of the 16th century, several European kingdoms such as Portugal and Spain financed large voyages of exploration. They wanted to increase their wealth and power during a time of wars and rivalries in Europe. Trade with Asia became more difficult after the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. As a result, Europeans searched for a new route to Asia to obtain spices and luxury goods.

With inventions such as the caravel and the astrolabe, sailors were able to travel farther across the Atlantic Ocean. Some explorers tried to sail around Africa, while others crossed the Atlantic heading west. These voyages eventually led to them locating and eventually claiming new lands in the Americas. This period marks the beginning of European presence in North America, an important part of the Quebec History and Citizenship Education program because it helps explain the start of colonization and the first contacts with Indigenous peoples.

European Powers - Motivations, Results and Effects

In the 15th century, European kingdoms like Portugal and Spain sent explorers to find new trade routes and wealth. Portuguese sailors explored the west coast of Africa and rounded the dangerous Cape Bojador. Spain focused on the Caribbean and the Americas. These voyages were motivated by trade, competition, and the hope of gaining valuable goods such as spices, silk, and gold.

England also wanted to find a route to Asia. They hired John Cabot, an experienced sailor, to explore the northern Atlantic. Cabot sailed west from England in 1497 and reached the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. His voyages opened these areas to European fishing and trade, even though he did not reach Asia.

France joined the exploration race in the 16th century. Jacques Cartier was sent to explore what is now Canada. In 1534, he reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence and planted a cross at Gaspé, claiming the land for France. Cartier’s voyages helped France learn about the St. Lawrence River and the lands along it.

During his later expeditions, Cartier traveled further up the St. Lawrence River. He met Indigenous peoples in villages like Stadacona and Hochelaga. He explored rivers such as the Saguenay, Saint-Maurice, and Richelieu. These journeys showed that Canada was vast and rich in resources, even though it was not the shortcut to Asia that explorers had hoped for.

Exploration also had economic effects. European fishermen began crossing the Atlantic to the Grand Banks near Newfoundland, where fish were plentiful. These early contacts and trade would set the stage for European settlement and colonization in North America. Exploration helped shape the map of the world and marked the beginning of Europe’s long presence in Canada.