John Cabot's Exploration of North America Quiz

John Cabot's Exploration of North America

• Arab navigational tools like the astrolabe and quadrant revolutionized navigation, enabling the calculation of latitude but not exact longitude.
• John Cabot, born in the mid-15th century, sought support for an Atlantic expedition and moved to London in 1495 for funding.
• Cabot led an expedition commissioned by England, departing from Bristol, the second-largest seaport in England.
• In 1497, Cabot sailed from Bristol on the ship called the Matthew, reaching the coast of North America, which he called New-found-land.
• Cabot's crew claimed the land for England, though they did not meet any native people during their brief visit.
• The exact location of Cabot's landfall is disputed, but Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland was designated as the official landing place for the 500th-anniversary celebrations.
• Cabot has been credited with being the first European to land in North America after the Norsemen, contributing to the later British claim to Canada.
• Cabot reported to the King that the land was excellent, but the mystery surrounds the fate of his subsequent expedition and his own survival.
• In 1508, Cabot's son, Sebastian, undertook a voyage from Bristol to North America, exploring a section of the Canadian and American coast.
• Sebastian found little interest in westward exploration from the new king, Henry the 8th, after his return to England in 1509.
• Cabot, like Columbus, believed he was laying claim to part of Asia, but the New World ended up being mistaken for another continent.
• Canada, discovered by an Italian sailor, was a result of navigational experience, funding, and a mistaken identity, contributing to the nation's multicultural identity.