What prompted and influenced Jacques Cartier to explore?

Answer 1

Jacques Cartier was motivated to explore primarily by the desire for wealth and the possibility of discovering a new route to Asia for trade. Sponsored by King Francis I of France, Cartier was influenced by reports of rich lands and resources in the New World, particularly tales of gold and other riches. His expeditions, beginning in 1534, were also driven by the broader European interest in exploration and colonization during the Age of Discovery. Additionally, interactions with Indigenous peoples and their knowledge of the land further influenced Cartier's exploration efforts.