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John Cabot Facts & Worksheets

John Cabot was a famous Italian navigator who discovered the Canadian island of Newfoundland.

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John Cabot was a famous Italian navigator who discovered the Canadian island of Newfoundland. His discovery was critical in the development of trade routes between England and America.

See the fact file below for more information on John Cabot, or alternatively, you can download our 26-page John Cabot worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

John Cabot

  • He was a professional seafarer who moved to England but was not born there during Henry VII‘s reign and led English ships on numerous voyages of discovery during the Tudor dynasty.
  • In the Port of Bristol, he established his base for exploration and discovery.
  • He predicted the possibility of sailing westward to Asia. The English government supported his exploration because of the trade profit that the country would gain from it.
  • In his honor, John Cabot University was founded.

Early Life

  • Giovanni Caboto was born around the year 1450 in Genoa, Italy.
  • He joined the religious confraternity Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista in 1471, indicating that he was a well-respected member of the community due to the group’s impressive reputation.
  • In 1476, he obtained full Venetian citizenship and was able to participate in the sea trade.
  • He was involved in selling an enslaved person in Crete in 1483 after acquiring the person from the Sultan of Egypt.
  • He worked in the eastern Mediterranean trade, where he may have learned about the origins of Eastern goods such as spices and silks.
  • A Zuan Cabotto, a Venetian variant of his name, was found in 1480s records, indicating that he had married Mattea by 1484. Ludovico, Sebastian, and Sancto were their sons.
  • He also became involved in city projects related to house construction, which was supported by his track record of looking for civil engineering jobs in Spain.
  • He left Venice on November 5, 1488, with unsettled debts.
  • He moved to Valencia, Spain, where he was almost arrested after his creditors filed a complaint with the authorities.
  • He lived in Valencia under the name John Cabot Montecalunya and was recorded proposing harbor renovation plans, which were rejected.
  • In 1494, he relocated to Seville, where he was awarded a five-month contract to construct a stone bridge across the Guadalquivir River. The contract, however, was terminated by a City Council decision.
  • In mid-1945, he embarked on an Atlantic expedition and relocated to London in search of financial and political support.

Expeditions

  • He intended to make a shorter journey by heading west.
  • On March 5, 1496, he was granted a royal patent with the condition that all of his expeditions start from Bristol, the second-largest English seaport, and that any economic profits from discoveries made must be used solely for the benefit of England.
  • The government’s goal was to turn Bristol into a monopoly port.

First Voyage

  • There were a few records about his first voyage.
  • His first voyage was thought to have begun in the summer of 1496.

Second Voyage

  • He was said to be using a caravel, a small ship named Mathew of Bristol, with 50 tons of supplies to last them seven or eight months.
  • The ship, which had 18 to 20 crew members, including a Burgundian and a Genoese barber who was rumored to be the ship’s surgeon, set sail on May 2, 1497.
  • The expedition was said to include two high-ranking Bristol merchants, including William Weston. According to a 2009 document, King Henry VII ordered the suspension of legal proceedings against Weston because the King wanted him to command the voyage to the “new found land”. He worked with Weston before the second voyage began in January 1498.
  • The expedition made its way to Ireland and then across the Atlantic.
  • On June 24, 1497, they anchored off the coast of North America, the exact location of which is unknown. It was either in Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island.
  • He was said to have abandoned the expedition after only one landing. They had no contact with the natives of the coast where they landed, even though the crew discovered human trails and the tools they used.
  • They raised the Venetian and Papal banners on the land, claiming it for the English King and acknowledging the Roman Catholic Church’s authority over it.
  • After a week of exploring the coast, he convinced the crew to return.

Final Voyage

  • After they returned to Bristol, he rode to London to report to the king.
  • On August 10, 1497, he was awarded £10 in cash, the equivalent of a two-year salary for an ordinary worker, and was given the title “Great Admiral.”
  • On September 26, he was given £2 again.
  • He was given a regular annual salary of £20 on December 13.
  • When the customs officers refused to pay him his pension, he requested the king’s warrant.
  • On February 3, 1498, he received a new patent for the voyage and future expeditions.
  • In early May 1498, he led a fleet of five ships from Bristol. Because some ships contained merchandise, it was assumed he would engage in trade during the expedition. The Spanish envoy reported that one of the ships was caught in a storm and abandoned by Ireland’s fleet.
  • There were no other records found about the expedition, but one of the men, Lancelot Thirkill, was discovered living in London in 1501.
  • It was unclear whether he died during the voyage or safely returned and died soon after. There were also rumors that he had arrived in America and decided to settle.

Legacy

  • He was recognized as the first venture capitalist to have a 500-year impact. His discovery of Newfoundland resulted in the establishment of its two primary industries, fishing and newsprint.
  • His discoveries were credited to the English crown and aided England in the establishment of its first colonies, which led to modern-day America and Canada.
  • Future explorers were influenced by his explorations to refine maps and work on more discoveries like his and Columbus‘.
  • To commemorate his legacy, a statue of him holding a map and gazing out to sea was erected in Port Bristol.
  • The Dorset culture is said to have first inhabited Newfoundland in the 11th century, and the Norse were the first to visit after the Dorset settlement.
  • After 500 years of Norse settlement, he became the first European to set foot on the island.
  • In 1501, Europeans, particularly explorers named Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real, settled in Newfoundland and called it Terra Nova, which translates as “New Land” in Portuguese. The island’s Portuguese name was further translated and became known as Newfoundland.
  • As resources began to deplete in the modern era, the state intervened and imposed strict regulatory practices to prevent the ground fishery from completely collapsing and closing.

John Cabot Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about John Cabot across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use John Cabot worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about John Cabot, who was a famous Italian navigator who discovered the Canadian island of Newfoundland.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • John Cabot Facts
  • Just John
  • John’s Family Tree
  • 50 Days Later
  • Well Equipped
  • John’s Journey
  • Cabot Crossword
  • Word Hunt
  • Turn of Events
  • Captain’s Log
  • I am Legend John Cabot

Frequently Asked Questions

What is John Cabot famous for?

John Cabot was a famous Italian navigator who discovered the Canadian island of Newfoundland.

Did Cabot discover America?

On June 24, 1497, they anchored off the coast of North America, the exact location of which is unknown. It was either in Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island.

What did John Cabot discover in Canada?

John Cabot was a famous Italian navigator who discovered the Canadian island of Newfoundland. His exploration was influential in the development of trade between Britain and America. 

How did John Cabot change the world?

His discovery was critical in the development of trade routes between England and America. His discoveries were credited to the English crown and aided England in the establishment of its first colonies, which led to modern-day America and Canada.

Who discovered Canada in 1497?

On June 24, 1497, they anchored off the coast of North America, the exact location of which is unknown. It was either in Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island. His discoveries were credited to the English crown and aided England in the establishment of its first colonies, which led to modern-day America and Canada.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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