John Cabot: He Knew He Wasn't in China

John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) never believed he reached China. His 1497 voyage under Henry VII of England aimed to find a western route to Asia — but he recognized he'd found something else.

What He Actually Thought

• Landed: Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island (June 24, 1497)
• Reported: "New founde lande" — rich fishing, temperate, inhabited by people using "snares" and "spears"
• Believed: Northeast Asia's coast (Cipangu/Japan or Cathay/China periphery) — not China proper
• Named: "Terra Nova" — New Found Land

Why the Confusion?

• Contemporary geography: Asia thought to extend further east
• Columbus (1492) claimed Caribbean = Indies; Cabot sought northern route
• No concept of "North America" as separate continent
• Merchants wanted Asian spices/silk; any land = potential access

Subsequent Voyages

• 1498: Second voyage — 5 ships; likely lost at sea
• Sebastian Cabot (son): Later explored Hudson Bay, Rio de la Plata

Historical Significance

Cabot's 1497 landing = first documented European landing on mainland North America since Norse (c. 1000). Basis for English claims → British Canada.