Stadaconé is a village iroquoien of the St. Lawrence which played a historical part in the exploration of the future town of Quebec. The name of the Canada , borrowed by Jacques Cartier to indicate the areas around Stadaconé as well as the river (river of Canada), comes from the spoken language by its inhabitants, in whom the word meant “village”.

In September 1535, Jacques Cartier drops anchor close to the mouth of a river which it names Holy-Cross (today Rivière Saint-Charles). In the search of richnesses and a new road towards the Asia, it explores this part of septentrional America in the name of the king of France, François I {{er}}.

On the current site of the Cartier-Brébeuf park, the captain inhabitant of Saint Malo makes set up a fort of piles. In the vicinity is the village of Stadaconé which is “as good ground as it is possible and well fructiférante”. Approximately five hundreds Iroquoiens live, gathered in long houses there. In addition to the products of hunting and fishing, they draw their subsistence from the culture of corn, marrows and beans.

For Europeans, the first winter laurentien is tragic. They must undergo the cold, snow, the hunger and especially the Scorbut which decimates part of the crew. The men of Cartier are saved in extremis by a herb tea of white cedar, the annedda. As of the month of May 1536, the survivors turn over to France, after having removed some inhabitants of Stadaconé and the chief of the village, Donnacona. The latter will never re-examine America.

Cartier returns to found a colony in 1541. It acts under the orders of general lieutenant Jean-François of Rocque the Roberval one. Arrived at Stadaconé at August, with five ships, it chooses to be established with the mouth of a river which will bear the name of Cape-Red. It makes plow the ground and build two forts, one on the strike, the other at the top of the course. The winter is difficult; the scurvy and the harassing of the autochtones, become hostile, encourage Cartier to turn over to France. It brings back an iron pyrite cargo and quartz which it takes for gold and diamonds. On the road, it crosses the sior of Roberval who tries in his turn to be established at the same place. The scurvy makes devastations again. In June 1543, one repatriates the colonists, putting thus fine at the first attempt at French settlement in North America.

When Samuel de Champlain settles with Quebec in 1608, the village of Stadaconé does not exist any more and Iroquoiens deserted the valley from the Fleuve the St. Lawrence. One advances several assumptions to explain their departure: the disease, a cooling of the climate, and especially wars between nations autochtones.

At the dawn of the XVIIe century, the current site of the town of Quebec is visited by nomads algonquiens. They come to fish eel and to make barter.

See too

• Iroquoiens of the St. Lawrence

• Quebec (city)
• Jacques Cartier