Cartier's exploration identified which river as the entry point for later colonization?

• A. The Atlantic coast
• B. The St. Lawrence River
• C. The Mississippi River
• D. The Hudson River

Answer: (B)

Cartier’s voyage showed that the inland route into Canada lay along a river system, specifically the St. Lawrence. By entering the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and climbing the St. Lawrence River, he demonstrated a practical path from the Atlantic into the interior, enabling ongoing colonization, fur trade, and settlement by France. This river corridor became the main artery for French expansion into what would become Quebec and the broader central Canada region, through sites like Stadacona and Hochelaga. The other options don’t fit with Cartier’s achievement: the Atlantic coast is where he began, not the entry point into the interior, and the Mississippi or Hudson rivers were associated with later explorations in different areas.