John Cabot 1450? - 1499?

Italian Navigator, Explorer, and MapmakerExplored the New World for England

First European to Reach North America after Leif Erikson

JOHN CABOT WAS BORN around 1450, probably in the city of Genoa in Italy. His name is written as “Giovanni Caboto” in Italian, the language of his birthplace. We know him as “John Cabot,” the English form of his name, because he made his discoveries exploring for the King of England.

86

JOHN CABOT

Many of the facts of Cabot’s life are unknown. We don’t know exactly when or where he was born. We don’t know about his parents, or his education. We do know that he moved to Venice sometime around 1460. He became a citizen of Venice and worked there as a sailor.

Sometime in the 1470s, Cabot traveled to the Middle East. He visited Mecca, then a thriving center for trade. He saw the wealth of items traded in Mecca — gold, jewels, and especially spices. Spices came from the East — from Asia. Cabot began to dream about sailing to Asia and becoming part of the spice trade. But like Christopher Columbus, Cabot wanted to sail west. He thought that by heading west from Europe, he could reach the riches of Asia.

Cabot believed the world was round. He reasoned that the distance between Europe and Asia was widest at the equator. The same journey would be shorter at the northern portion of the globe. Cabot visited the Kings and Queens of Portugal and Spain to ask for funding. They weren’t interested.

MOVING TO ENGLAND: Cabot moved to England sometime in the 1490s. He and his family settled in the port city of Bristol. Cabot presented his plan to King Henry VII. By now, the successful voyages of Columbus were known throughout Europe. King Henry wanted the riches and power that came with trade for England.

Henry agreed to permit Cabot and his sons to go on their voyage. He wrote a letter allowing them to sail to all parts of the “eastern, western, and northern sea.” They were to “find, discover, and investigate whatsoever islands, countries, regions or provinces” they wished. But they were not to claim lands already under Spanish control.

87

JOHN CABOT

Cabot meets with King Henry VII.

Money for the trip came from the merchants of Bristol. These

trading men also wanted to find a successful route to the East.

Cabot made his first attempt to cross the Atlantic in 1496. The

voyage ended in failure. A man named John Day wrote a letter to

Christopher Columbus telling him of Cabot’s problems. He said

Cabot had bad weather and problems with his crew. Cabot had

much better luck on his next voyage. It would make him a famous

explorer.

VOYAGE OF 1497: In May 1497,Cabot set off from England in one

ship, the Matthew. His crew was made up of 18 men. Cabot had

88

JOHN CABOT

three sons, including one, Sebastian, who also became an explorer. It’s possible that they, too, went on the voyage.

Cabot left Bristol and landed in Ireland, then set off across the Atlantic. Cabot was a great navigator. He set his course to sail on the same latitude across the ocean. He checked his course with a compass and quadrant.

LANDFALL IN NORTH AMERICA: Cabot sighted land on June 24, 1497. The journey had taken 33 days. Even though his path across the Atlantic was shorter than Columbus’s, Cabot’s trip took longer. That is because he traveled in the north, where the weather is harsher and the winds are less favorable.

WHERE DID THEY LAND? No one knows for sure where Cabot and his crew landed. Most historians think it was in Canada, on what is now Newfoundland. Others think he might have reached Cape Breton or Labrador. They were the first Europeans to land in the area since Leif Erikson.

Cabot and his men went ashore and discovered what looked like a settlement. But they saw no people. Cabot claimed the land for England, raising a cross and the flags of England and Venice. The crew did not spend a long time on the island. Instead, Cabot probably led them along the coast of Newfoundland.

Although Cabot didn’t find any spices, he discovered other kinds of riches. The waters were full of fish. The crew let down buckets, and when they pulled them up they were brimming with fish.

Cabot returned to England. The voyage back took just 15 days. He made a map outlining his discoveries and took it to King Henry.

89

JOHN CABOT

GREENLAND

UNITED STATES

CANADA NEWFOUNDLAND

ATLANTIC OCEAN

LABRADOR SEA

0 1,000

Miles

Possible route of John Cabot’s 1497 Expedition.

Henry was delighted with Cabot’s success. He was willing to fund another voyage to this “newe founde lande,” which is where the name “Newfoundland” comes from.

VOYAGE OF 1498: Still convinced he’d reached the East, Cabot was anxious to find the riches of Asia. He left England in May 1498. This time, he headed a crew of six ships and 200 men. They headed west for what they thought was Japan.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CABOT: John Cabot was never seen again. He and his crew were probably lost at sea, but no one knows for sure what happened.

SEBASTIAN CABOT: Sebastian Cabot carried on his father’s trade as an explorer and mapmaker. But Sebastian was a curious man. He took credit for his father’s discoveries. No one knows why, but he

90

JOHN CABOT

claimed that it was he and not his father who had led the voyage of 1497 to the New World. (Read more about Sebastian Cabot in the entry that follows.)

JOHN CABOT’S HOME AND FAMILY: Cabot’s wife’s name was Mattea, and they had three sons, Sebastian, Ludovico, and Sancio.

HIS DISCOVERY: Cabot is remembered as a skilled navigator and mapmaker. He opened up North America to English exploration and discovery.

WORLD WIDE WEB SITES:

http://www.mariner.org/age/cabot.html http://www.heritage.nf.ca/exploration/cabot.html http://www.matthew.co.uk/history/jcabot.html

91