John Cabot

John Cabot

John Cabot was an Italian explorer who obtained support from England to set sail in search of a northern sea route to Asia. He felt it would be shorter than the southern route that Columbus tried. In 1497, Cabot landed in the New World, possibly in Newfoundland. In 1498, he again set off in search of a sea route. He disappeared and is presumed to have died the same year.

Fast Facts

Born: Most likely 1450 in Genoa
Full name: Giovanni Caboto
Spouse: Mattea
Sons: Ludovico, Sebastiano and Sancto
Died: Presumed lost at sea, 1498

Spice Trade

John Cabot's father was a spice merchant who trained Cabot in the family trade. Spices were an important commodity in an era without refrigeration, and many countries wanted to find shorter, cheaper trade routes to obtain them. This encouraged voyages of exploration.

The Historical Record

Historical records can often be incomplete or inaccurate. It's important to regard information such as dates, landing spots, etc., as unproven. For example, most sources on John Cabot state that he was likely born in 1450 in Genoa, but it cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. There is also controversy over where exactly Cabot landed. It was most likely in Newfoundland, possibly in Cape Bonavista, but it could also have been in Labrador, or Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.

Categories

History | Age of Exploration | Canada | Geography | North America

| View Note History

The Mahalo Top 7

The Mariners' Museum: Age of Exploration
Matthew of Bristol: Life on Board on the Original Matthew
Wikipedia: John Cabot
Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada
The English Historical Review: The Matthew of Bristol... (2006)
BBC: Historic Figures: John Cabot
YouTube Video: Canada: A People's History - John Cabot (Time: 7:24)

John Cabot Figure Background and Profiles

15th Century Navigation Skills

Rice University: Latitude
Encarta: 15th Century Navigation Instruments
NASA: How Columbus and Apollo Astronauts Navigated

1497 Voyage

Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage: John Cabot's Voyage of 1497
Essays in History: The Cabot Dilemma...(1990-1991)
Modern History Sourcebook (Fordham University): : John Cabot

1498 Voyage

Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage: John Cabot's voyage of 1498
Yale University: The Letters Patents of King Henry the Seventh
Model Ship Builder: London Chronicles of John Cabot's Voyage of 1498

John Cabot Images and Media

Flickr: John Cabot Images
The Mariner's Museum: Age of Exploration
Google Images: John Cabot Images
YouTube: John Cabot Videos

John Cabot Books and Research

Google Books: John Cabot Books
Barnes & Noble: John Cabot Books
Tidespoint.com: John Cabot and Newfoundland by Alan F. Williams
Amazon.com: Voyage of the Matthew: John Cabot and the Discovery of North America The Many Landfalls of John Cabot by Peter E. Pope

John Cabot Timeline

1450: Born (most likely) in Genoa, Italy
1461: Moves to Venice, learns about the spice trade
1474: Marries Mattea
1484: (Or possibly 1490's) Moves to Bristol, England
1496: Given permission by Henry VII of England to search for northern sea route to Asia
1497: Departs on first voyage on May 2
1497: Lands (most likely) in Newfoundland on June 24
1497: Returns to England in August and is well-received
1498: On second voyage, Cabot disappears at sea, presumed dead same year

John Cabot in Popular Culture

Amazon.com: The Lost Voyage of John Cabot by Henry Garfield
WorldCat: And Tomorrow the Stars: The Story of John Cabot by Kay Hill and Laszlo Kubinyi
IMDb: John Cabot: A Man of the Renaissance

Related Pages on Mahalo

England | Canada | Newfoundland and Labrador | Christopher Columbus | Ferdinand Magellan | Prince Henry the Navigator | Jacques Cartier

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