Age of Exploration John Cabot

Cabot felt he could reach the Indies by selling west

Columbus had already discovered islands, which he thought, was off the coast of China

Cabot’s plan was to reach the mainland. He planned to sail further north.

Cabot set sail in May 1497 with a crew of 18 men

Because ships depended on the wind for power it took several weeks before they spotted land.  

When Cabot reached the shore, he claimed the land for England. 

Cabot called the land Newfoundland, which he thought, was in northeast Asia.  

John Cabot

In 1498 Cabot left England once again with five ships. This voyage is still a mystery today. Only one ship returned to England. No one knows what happened to the other four ships or to John Cabot. Was it a storm, a pirate raid, the mystery still remains.