History
Charlesbourg-Royal, in the Cap-Rouge area of Quebec City where the Rivière du Cap Rouge meets the Saint Lawrence River, was France’s first attempt to found a colony in North America. Established by Jacques Cartier in 1541 on his third and final voyage, it brought about 400 settlers to a fortified upper and lower position. The colony failed quickly: during its first winter, 35 men died, and it was abandoned in September 1543 because of harsh weather, scurvy, and attacks from neighbouring Iroquoians. Rediscovered in 2006, the site is rare physical evidence of the earliest French colonial ambitions in what became Canada.
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Québec · Canada
