John Cabot

Bust of Giovanni Caboto. Panteon Veneto; Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti

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John Cabot house (Venice)

Cabot fugitive

JohnCabotPlaqueDingleTowerHalifaxNovaScotia

Bonavista Cabot 2

1497 voyage

John Cabot (c. 1450 – c. 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England is commonly believed to be the earliest European encounter with the continent since the Norse Vikings visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Cabot is credited with the first European exploration of coastal North America since the Norse, and his journey marked the start of the age of exploration and the eventual rise of British imperialism in the New World. His exact origins are unclear, but he is believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy, and later moved to Venice, where he became a skilled navigator and maritime merchant.

Early Life

Little is known about Cabot's early life. He was born Giovanni Caboto in Italy, and by the 1470s, he had moved to Venice. In Venice, he became a citizen and engaged in maritime trade, which included voyages to the Eastern Mediterranean. Despite his successful career in Venice, Cabot moved to England in the 1480s, possibly due to financial difficulties or the allure of England's burgeoning interest in exploration.

Voyages

In 1496, John Cabot was granted permission by Henry VII of England to seek new lands for England. His first voyage in 1496 failed to reach the coast of America, but his second voyage in 1497 was successful. Departing from Bristol with a single ship, the Matthew, Cabot crossed the Atlantic and landed on the coast of what is now believed to be Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island. This voyage marked the first recorded European exploration of the North American mainland since the Norse expeditions.

Cabot's discovery was significant for England's claims in the New World, and he was rewarded by King Henry VII. He undertook at least one other voyage, in 1498, aiming to find a direct route to Asia. However, the fate of this voyage remains unclear, and it is believed that Cabot and his crew were lost at sea.

Legacy

John Cabot's voyages had a lasting impact on European exploration and the eventual British colonization of North America. His exploration helped to lay the groundwork for the later, more extensive, explorations and claims by other European powers. Cabot's achievements were somewhat overshadowed by those of Christopher Columbus and other explorers in popular history, but his contributions to the age of exploration are significant.

Controversies

The exact landing spot of Cabot's 1497 voyage and the details of his subsequent voyages remain subjects of historical debate. Additionally, the extent of Cabot's discoveries and their immediate impact on European knowledge of the New World are also contested among historians.

See Also

• Age of Discovery
• Exploration of North America
• Henry VII of England

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