Name Date
John Cabot By Sharon Fabian
Giovanni Caboto was born in Italy. When he grew up, he became a merchant sailor in Venice, Italy. Like other seafaring traders, he traveled the seas to buy spices, silk, precious stones, and metals. At that time, the Far East was the place where all the traders wanted to go, because that was where they could buy the spices and other items that people in their own country wanted. Caboto had heard of Christopher Columbus' voyage, and like other people of his time, believed that Columbus had really found a shorter route to the Far East. He didn't know what we know now, that Columbus had discovered America instead. So Caboto wanted to make a voyage like the one Columbus made and maybe find an even shorter route. His idea was to sail farther north, where the distance would be shorter.
Unfortunately, his own country of Italy wasn't interested in exploring. Italians were already the leaders in the Far East trade and were happy with things the way they were. So, like Columbus, Caboto decided to try another country. In about 1495, Caboto, his wife, and their three children moved to the seaport of Bristol, England. In England he began using the name John Cabot.
England was interested in exploring. Both King Henry VII and the English merchants hoped to find a shorter trade route, especially one that was not controlled by Italian traders. They decided to sponsor Cabot's explorations.
Cabot's first voyage, in 1496, was not successful. Bad weather and disagreements among the crew forced them to turn back.
In 1497, Cabot set out again with one small ship called the Matthew and a crew of only 18 men. They sailed a northerly course and landed somewhere along the East Coast of Canada, maybe in Newfoundland, maybe in Labrador, maybe in Nova Scotia, or maybe in Maine. There is a big controversy about where Cabot actually landed, and we don't have much information available to solve the disagreement. As far as we know, Cabot never kept a detailed ship's log like Columbus did.
Like Columbus, he, too, thought that he had sailed all the way to the Far East. When he returned to England, the king and the merchants were happy with what he had found, even though it wasn't spices and silks. He brought back knowledge of the world's geography that helped mapmakers draw new and better world maps. He also brought stories of a new type of riches. He told of sea life so rich that you could scoop up a whole bucket of fish at one time. The king rewarded Cabot with money and the chance to go on another expedition.
In 1498 Cabot set out again. This time he took five ships. One ship had problems and turned back early. The other ships continued on their route. Sadly, they were never heard from again.
By 1500, ships from England were crossing the ocean to fish off the banks of Newfoundland, thanks to Cabot's discoveries. Cabot's son, Sebastian, became an expert mapmaker. Sebastian also continued his father's tradition of exploration, making voyages of discovery of his own. Name Date
John Cabot Questions
1. John Cabot's original name was ______. A. Christopher Columbus B. Sebastian Cabot C. King Henry VII D. Giovanni Caboto 2. Cabot discovered ______. A. the Far East B. Japan C. the United States D. the East Coast of North America 3. Cabot wanted to explore because ______. A. he had heard about Columbus' voyages B. he wanted to find a shorter route to the Far East C. both (a) and (b) D. neither (a) or (b) 4. Cabot sailed for the country of ______. A. Spain B. England C. Bristol D. Italy 5. Cabot landed in ______. A. Newfoundland B. Nova Scotia C. no one knows for sure D. Maine
6. Cabot's most famous voyage was in the year ______. A. 1498 B. 1495 C. 1496 D. 1497 7. The word controversy means ______. A. a type of ship B. a voyage C. an exploration D. a disagreement 8. Cabot was probably the______to discover America. A. first American B. second European since the Vikings C. first person D. first European since the Vikings