Who is cabot the explorer

Evidence suggests that he worked as a merchant in the spice trade of the Levant, or eastern Mediterranean, and may have traveled as far as Mecca, then an important trading center for Oriental and Western goods. He studied navigation and map-making during this period, and, similarly to his countryman Christopher Columbus , appears to have become interested in the possibility of reaching the rich markets of Asia by sailing in a westward direction. By late , Cabot had reached Bristol, England, a port city that had served as a starting point for several previous expeditions across the North Atlantic.

From there, he worked to convince the British crown that England did not have to stand aside while Spain claimed most of the New World , and that it was possible to reach Asia on a more northerly route than the one Columbus had taken. In , King Henry VII issued letters patent to Cabot and his son, which authorized them to make a voyage of discovery and to return with goods for sale on the English market. After a first, aborted attempt, Cabot sailed out of Bristol on the small ship Matthew in May , with a crew of 18 men.

The expedition made landfall in North America on June 24; the exact location is disputed, but may have been southern Labrador, the island of Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island. When Cabot went ashore, he reportedly saw signs of habitation but no people. He took possession of the land for King Henry, but hoisted both the English and Venetian flags.

Cabot explored the area and named various features of the region, including Cape Discovery, Island of St. John, St. These may correspond to modern-day places located around what became known as Cabot Strait, the mile-wide channel running between southwestern Newfoundland and northern Cape Breton Island.

This time, he would continue westward from his first landfall until he reached the island of Cipangu Japan. In February , the king issued letters patent for the second voyage, and that May Cabot set off from Bristol with about five ships and men. The exact fate of the expedition has not been established, but by July one of the ships had been damaged and sought anchorage in Ireland. It was believed that the ships had been caught in a severe storm, and by , Cabot himself was presumed to have perished at sea.

In addition to laying the groundwork for British land claims in Canada, his expeditions proved the existence of a shorter route across the northern Atlantic Ocean, which would later facilitate the establishment of other British colonies in North America. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. England, hoping to profit from any trade Cabot might establish with the New World, gave support to his efforts to sail to unknown lands and to return with goods. His voyages to North America in and helped lay the groundwork for Britain's later claim to Canada. It was during a voyage to the Americas in that John Cabot was lost at sea. We at John Cabot University are proud to bear the name of such an illustrious Italian, who opened the channels for further exploration to North America and thus forged a link between Italy and the Americas that has lasted over five hundred years.

Like Christopher Columbus, Cabot found it very difficult to convince backers to pay for the ships he needed to test out his ideas about the world. After failing to persuade the royal courts of Europe, he arrived with his family in , to try to persuade merchants in London and Bristol to pay for his planned voyage. Before he set off, Cabot heard that Columbus had sailed west across the Atlantic and reached land.

At the time, everyone believed that this land was the Indies, or Spice Islands. King Henry VII would also take his share. Everybody believed that Cathay and Cipangu China and Japan were rich in gold, gems, spices and silks. If Asia had been where Cabot thought it was, it would have made England the greatest trading centre in the world for goods from the east.

John Cabot's ship, the Matthew , sailed from Bristol with a crew of 18 in Cabot had reached one of the northern capes of Newfoundland.