nPostednon December 31, 2014
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nOkay,nhe kidnapped some guys. Actually, he kidnapped the sons of the chief.nBut he did (eventually) return them!
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Frenchnexplorer Jacques Cartier, born on this date in 1491, had been sent tonthe New World in 1534, in search of a passage to “Cathay” (Asia).nIf he couldn’t find a way to Cathay, he was supposed to looknfor….(Do you know what the French king wanted? What did EVERY kingnwant, back then?)…gold!
Frenchnexplorer Jacques Cartier, born on this date in 1491, had been sent tonthe New World in 1534, in search of a passage to “Cathay” (Asia).nIf he couldn’t find a way to Cathay, he was supposed to looknfor….(Do you know what the French king wanted? What did EVERY kingnwant, back then?)…gold!n
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nActually,nCartier discovered neither a passage to the Indies and China NORngold. He discovered what he considered barren, uninviting landn(Newfoundland) a bit of greener land (Prince Edward Island), somenislands with lots of birds (which he named Iles auxnOiseaux—Islands of the Birds—and he and his crew proceeded tonshoot more than a thousand of the birds, because, you know, it’s whatnyou do!), and a large bay (actually, the mouth of a river, the Gulfnof Saint Lawrence).
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Henencountered a fleet of five canoes full of friendly Native Americansnand traded small things with them as tokens of friendship. But later,nwhen other canoes approached, he had canon shots fired to scare themnaway.
Henencountered a fleet of five canoes full of friendly Native Americansnand traded small things with them as tokens of friendship. But later,nwhen other canoes approached, he had canon shots fired to scare themnaway.n
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nThennhe saw some more Native Americans on shore, and Cartier and his mennrowed ashore. Cartier met with Chief Donnacona of the St. LawrencenIroquois, and he exchanged more gifts and used hand signs to create anfriendly alliance.
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But when Cartier erected a 30-foot woodenncross on the land—a cross marked “Vivenle Roi de France”n(Longnlive the King of France)—ChiefnDonnacona became concerned. He made some hand signs that seemed tonindicate to the Frenchmen that the land that the cross stood on, andnall the land around it, belonged to him and his people. Cartiernagreed with him and assured the chief that the cross was a marker sonhe could find his way back. He invited the chief and his three sonsnaboard his ship.
But when Cartier erected a 30-foot woodenncross on the land—a cross marked “Vivenle Roi de France”n(Longnlive the King of France)—ChiefnDonnacona became concerned. He made some hand signs that seemed tonindicate to the Frenchmen that the land that the cross stood on, andnall the land around it, belonged to him and his people. Cartiernagreed with him and assured the chief that the cross was a marker sonhe could find his way back. He invited the chief and his three sonsnaboard his ship.n
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nButnthen Cartier took two of the sons hostage. He put the chief and thenthird son ashore, told them that he would be back, and he would bringnthe two kidnapped sons back, and off he sailed for France.
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nOh,nmy! What a way to treat the “allies” you just made!
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nChiefnDonnacona’s sons learned some French and communicated with Cartiernabout their home. Their village was located where Quebec is nownsituated, and they indicated that their land was called “Kanata.”nCartier wrote Kanatanon his charts and maps—and that is how the name Canadancame to be.
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| Chief Donnacona |
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nCartierndid return the chief’s sons to Canada the following year. He alsonbrought the chief some gifts from the French King. Apparently, ChiefnDonnacona didn’t trust Cartier but didn’t out-and-out attack him,neither!
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nIndon’t know how wise the chief’s restraint was! In 1535, Cartier againnkidnapped the same two sons, Donnacona himself, three other adultnIroquois natives, and four children. All of those Iroquoian hostagesnhad to stay in France for five years, between Cartier’s second andnthird voyages—and all of them died except for one of the children!
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nSonnot how you should treat your allies!!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of Ottawa becoming the capital of Canadan
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nThenlast day of the year
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nNewnYear’s Eve
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nAnniversarynof a New Year’s Eve party inside an iguanodon
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nAnniversarynof a window tax in England
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest pages on:
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- Historicaln anniversaries in December
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nJanuaryn birthdays
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