John Cabot: The Explorer Who Claimed Canada for England in 1497

John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) — Venetian navigator sailing under English letters patent — made landfall in North America on June 24, 1497, claiming the territory for King Henry VII of England.

The Voyage

• Ship: Matthew (50 tons, 18 crew)
• Departure: Bristol, May 1497
• Landfall: Likely Newfoundland (Bonavista or Cape Breton) or Labrador
• Claim: Planted English banner, took possession "in the name of His Majesty"
• Return: Bristol, August 1497 — hero's welcome, £10 pension

Historical Significance

• First documented European landing on mainland North America since Leif Erikson (~1000 CE).
• Basis for England's (later Britain's) claim to Canada.
• Opened the Grand Banks cod fishery — economic engine for centuries.
• 1498 second voyage: likely lost at sea; son Sebastian continued exploration.

Why Not Columbus?

Columbus (1492) reached Caribbean islands for Spain. Cabot (1497) reached continental North America for England—different continent, different crown.

Legacy

• Cabot Tower (St. John's, NL; Bristol, UK)
• Cabot Strait (between NL and Cape Breton)
• John Cabot University (Rome)
• Canadian $100 bill (1975 series) featured his likeness

An Italian in English service, Cabot gave Britain its New World foothold—five years after Columbus, but on the mainland that would become Canada.