Norsemen from Scandinavia were the first
Europeans to travel to North America in
the 900s. Other Europeans did not venture
across the Atlantic Ocean until the 1400s.
At the time, many Europeans believed that
the Atlantic was full of danger. They called it
the “Sea of Darkness.” Christopher Columbus
braved the ocean in 1492. Then Vasco da
Gama, a Portuguese explorer, travelled
to India by sailing around Africa, in 1497.
In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the
world. This was a great time of exploration
and discovery. When Cartier was old enough,
he started his own life of adventure.
Age of
Exploration
Historians believe Cartier likely
started his career as a cabin boy.
Cabin boys ran errands for the crew.
They cleaned the deck and climbed
the ship’s rigging to help set the
sails. Cartier would have learned
many other things from the more
experienced sailors. Life on the
ships was very difficult. The captain
slept in a small cabin. Most of the
crew shared a very small area below
deck. It was usually damp and dirty,
and infested with rats and insects.
The crew slept on mats on the floor.
During long journeys, many sailors
became sick with
dysentery
.
5
Jacques Cartier
is born.
1491
The Norseman, Leif Eriksson, was one of
the first Europeans to visit what is now
Newfoundland. He called the area Vinland.
