Biography Category
Name :
John Cabot
Date :
Views :
506
Category :
Birth Date :
21/05/2026
Birth Place :
Genoa
Death Date :
1498
Henry VII agreed with Cabot on the assumption that he would profit greatly from any precious goods brought back from the Orient. He provided the Italian with a small ship, called ‘The Mathew’, and an eighteen-man crew (An exact replica of the ship can be seen in Bristol today). Cabot thought he had pulled off a brilliant masterstroke by getting the backing from England. He hypothesised that because the lines of longitude are shorter in distance from one another the further north travelled from the equator, his voyage would be over a shorter distance from a higher latitude. So, setting off from Bristol would make the voyage shorter than if he had set off from the coast of Spain.
Born Giovanni Caboto in Genoa 1450, the man who would later be known as John Cabot was attracted to the treasures of the Orient from a relatively early age. Whilst still a young man he moved to Venice, and it was there that he began learning of the value of Eastern spices and materials as it became his trade. [br /]
[br /]
[br /]
What started as an interest through work soon developed into an inescapable yearning for John Cabot. He had heard, as most people had, of the daring exploration conducted by the likes of Christopher Columbus. After long hours of thought and research Cabot predicted that it would be possible to reach Asia by sailing westwards from Europe. Armed with the promise of riches to the country that funded his exploration Cabot approached first Spain, and then Portugal, but both countries declined. Maybe they were no longer willing to fund explorers, as they had already invested heavily in Christopher Columbus. Undeterred, he went to Bristol in England, and it was there he found the required support.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
Henry VII agreed with Cabot on the assumption that he would profit greatly from any precious goods brought back from the Orient. He provided the Italian with a small ship, called ‘The Mathew’, and an eighteen-man crew (An exact replica of the ship can be seen in Bristol today). Cabot thought he had pulled off a brilliant masterstroke by getting the backing from England. He hypothesised that because the lines of longitude are shorter in distance from one another the further north travelled from the equator, his voyage would be over a shorter distance from a higher latitude. So, setting off from Bristol would make the voyage shorter than if he had set off from the coast of Spain.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
What started as an interest through work soon developed into an inescapable yearning for John Cabot. He had heard, as most people had, of the daring exploration conducted by the likes of Christopher Columbus. After long hours of thought and research Cabot predicted that it would be possible to reach Asia by sailing westwards from Europe. Armed with the promise of riches to the country that funded his exploration Cabot approached first Spain, and then Portugal, but both countries declined. Maybe they were no longer willing to fund explorers, as they had already invested heavily in Christopher Columbus. Undeterred, he went to Bristol in England, and it was there he found the required support.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
Henry VII agreed with Cabot on the assumption that he would profit greatly from any precious goods brought back from the Orient. He provided the Italian with a small ship, called ‘The Mathew’, and an eighteen-man crew (An exact replica of the ship can be seen in Bristol today). Cabot thought he had pulled off a brilliant masterstroke by getting the backing from England. He hypothesised that because the lines of longitude are shorter in distance from one another the further north travelled from the equator, his voyage would be over a shorter distance from a higher latitude. So, setting off from Bristol would make the voyage shorter than if he had set off from the coast of Spain.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
He set sail then from Bristol in 1496, but only got as far as Iceland before turning back. He attempted the voyage again the next year though, and this time it was a success. He landed at what he thought was the eastern coast of Asia, but was in fact the coast of Canada, possibly Newfoundland or Cape Breton. If Canada hadn’t been in the way it is very likely that he would have made it to Asia! On his return to England he was treated very well; although the promise of riches had not been fulfilled, Cabot had discovered new land that England would later be able to claim as their own. In 1498, Henry VII provided him with five ships to try again to find the Western route to Asia. One ship had to stop at Ireland for repairs. The rest of the ships, and John Cabot, were never seen again. [br /]
[br /]
[br /]
Sebastian Cabot followed in his father’s footsteps – he was both a navigator and mapmaker. Henry VII was still eager to find out more about the ‘Western Lands’ and so funded Sebastian for a voyage to go and explore them, in 1508. The ship set sail and Cabot was able to make detailed maps of the coast of Canada. However, the ships crew threatened mutiny, so they were forced to return to England. On their return they found that Henry VIII was now king, and he was to proffer no more monies for the exploration of North America. Cabot turned instead to Spain, who funded a voyage in which he was to find a shorter route to the Atlantic than the one Magellan had found (under the southern tip of South America). He set sail in 1526 and for the next four years explored the eastern coast of South America, but could find no way through. On his return to Europe he found that because of his failure Spain no longer wished to associate themselves with him. He spent the remaining years of his life as a mapmaker in England, dying in 1557.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
Sebastian Cabot followed in his father’s footsteps – he was both a navigator and mapmaker. Henry VII was still eager to find out more about the ‘Western Lands’ and so funded Sebastian for a voyage to go and explore them, in 1508. The ship set sail and Cabot was able to make detailed maps of the coast of Canada. However, the ships crew threatened mutiny, so they were forced to return to England. On their return they found that Henry VIII was now king, and he was to proffer no more monies for the exploration of North America. Cabot turned instead to Spain, who funded a voyage in which he was to find a shorter route to the Atlantic than the one Magellan had found (under the southern tip of South America). He set sail in 1526 and for the next four years explored the eastern coast of South America, but could find no way through. On his return to Europe he found that because of his failure Spain no longer wished to associate themselves with him. He spent the remaining years of his life as a mapmaker in England, dying in 1557.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]
