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Why did Francis I send Jacques Cartier to Canada?
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Francis I
King Francis I of France, portrait by Pierre Dumonstier, after a drawing by Jean Clouet; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
King Francis I of France commissioned Jacques Cartier to explore the northern regions of North America primarily to discover gold, spices, and a passage to Asia.12
In 1534, Francis I sent Cartier on his initial expedition with the hope that these northern lands would yield valuable resources and a viable trade route. Following Cartier's reports of potential riches in the interior, the King sent him back in 1535 to explore further. By 1541, the King’s objectives expanded to include the establishment of a permanent colony in the region, a move intended to secure French territorial claims against the competing interests of Spain.12