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John Cabot

Type Figure Region England Time c. 1450–1500 Also known as John Cabot、Giovanni Caboto、Zuan Chabotto

Italian-born navigator who later settled in Bristol, England. In 1496 he received a charter from Henry VII to explore northern Atlantic routes;…

Timeline

  1. 1491–1495Bristol · BristolMoved from Venetian merchant circles to Bristol around the early 1490s, using the town's oceanic trade networks and shipbuilding resources to prepare a transatlantic expedition, and lobbied Henry VII for a maritime charter.
  2. 1496London · LondonIn March 1496 received from Henry VII a charter granting a one-fifth share of revenues from exploring the Atlantic and discovering new lands; the first voyage failed due to supply and weather problems.
  3. 1497Newfoundland · Newfoundland and LabradorDeparted Bristol in May 1497 aboard the small sailing ship Matthew, sailing west; believed to have reached the coast of Newfoundland around June 24 and claimed it as English royal territory, returning in June.
  4. 1498–1500Atlantic Ocean · North AtlanticOrganized a larger fleet for another voyage in 1498; only one ship returned, reporting storms and icebergs. There are no reliable records of Cabot afterward, and he is generally presumed to have perished by the end of the 15th century.

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