Date Published:
March 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Jonathan Carver

Carver, Jonathan (1710-1780), author, was born on April 13, 1710, at Weymouth, Massachusetts, the son of David Carver and Hannah Dyer. He fought in the Seven Years' War, and in 1760 became a captain in a Massachusetts regiment. In 1766 he was persuaded by Major Robert Rogers to undertake an exploration of the country west of Michilimackinac; and he made a journey to the Mississippi and St. Peter's river, going by way of lake Michigan and returning by way of lake Superior. His account of this journey was published by him in his Travels in the interior parts of America (London, 1878), which ran through many editions and translations, for which see John Thomas Lee, A bibliography of Carver's travels (Proceedings of the Wisconsin Historical Society, 1909); and Additional data (1912). He died in poverty in London, England, on January 31, 1780. Over his motives and reliability a considerable controversy has been waged. The most recent discussion of the subject is L. P. Kellogg, The mission of Jonathan Carver (Wisconsin Magazine of History, 1928) ; but reference should be made also to E. G. Bourne, The travels of Jonathan. Carver (American Historical Review, 1904), William Browning, Early history of Jonathan Carver (Wisconsin Magazine of History, 1919), T. C. Elliott, The strange case of Jonathan Carver and the name Oregon (Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, 1920), and M. M. Quaife, Carver and the Carver grant (Mississippi Valley Historical Review; 1921).

Source  : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 9.