Carver, Jonathan (1710–1780), a North American explorer. In 1766, following the French and Indian War, he was sent by Major Robert Rogers, commandant at Mackinac, to explore the Lake Superior region and parts of Minnesota. His account of his experience—Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America (1778)—became one of the most popular accounts of early American travel.
Carver was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He entered military service in the French and Indian War and rose to the rank of captain. Carver went to England in 1769 to have his journal published. He remained there the rest of his life.
