Christopher Columbus’ exploits awed Europe with the possibility of reaching the riches of Asia without the arduous travel east into vast desert and mercy of Muslim rulers. It placed Spain in the forefront of the race to reach Asia, but it also inspired other, lesser-known countries and navigators to follow the journey. Such as the case of John Cabot and England entering the Age of Exploration.
Table of Contents
3. One More Try
Age of Exploration
Today we see space as the final frontier, but in the late 15th century, the sea represented the frontier. Many Europeans saw the stretch of water that stood between them and the vast riches of Asia. Every news of expeditions returning brought exciting news of success or failure. The United States and China racing in those days were Spain and Portugal.
Many navigators, mostly Italians, sought Spanish and Portuguese employment. Such as the case of Christopher Columbus, a native Genoese that proposed a western route to Asia and found support from Spain. Europe’s eyes widened with glee as news of Columbus' 1492 voyage reported lands west which everyone thought of as Asia.
The discovery inspired others to follow Columbus' footsteps and even out do the grand navigator himself. Columbus after several expeditions failed to bring back spices, silk, or massive amounts of gold. Who would be able to bring them back? A destitute Italian navigator named Giovanni Caboto hoped that his name would be the answer.
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| Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn, 1847 |
Who is Giovanni Caboto?
Giovanni Caboto, Anglicized to John Cabot, traced his origins to Genoa. Mystery defined much of Cabot’s early life. His parentage was sketchy and his upbringing unknown. However, in 1461, he moved to Venice, acquiring citizenship by 1476.
During his stay in Venice, he was said to have worked as a spice trader, specializing in the Levant trade. He sailed the sea and walked the sands reaching as far as Mecca, but being a Christian, he probably only reached Jeddah. As a merchant-traveller he honed his navigation and geography skills which served him later, but failed to improve his finances.
Around 1488, Cabot drowned in debt and looked for employment with better pay. He found one in a port enlargement project in Valencia, Spain and moved there. Unfortunately the project stalled by 1493. While awaiting the future of his job, news reached him about a fellow Genoese with the name of Christopher Columbus returning from an expedition supposedly to “Asia”
As word spread of the Columbus' expedition, everyone knew the trip failed to return with the riches of Asia. The quest for spice remained open and many navigators hoped to surpass Columbus both in stature and wealth. Cabot saw an opportunity to beat his fellow Genoese and petitioned Spain and Venice for patronage, but in vain, facing either outright rejection or simple disinterest. With no luck in Southern Europe, he decided to try Northern Europe and to win over the FOMO-stricken heart of King Henry VII of England.
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| John Cabot receiving letter of permission from King Henry VII (AI Generated) |
Becoming England’s Columbus
1. A Spice-less First Expedition
When Cabot petitioned Henry VII, he knocked into a remorseful heart. A few years ago the English King rejected a proposal from Columbus and felt if he accepted, news of the discovery would have been to his glory and England’s and not to Spain. This made the King open for similar opportunities and when he saw a similar scenario - a Genoese navigator promising a western passage to Asia - he saw his 2nd chance, his own Columbus - and so he agreed.
In 1496, Cabot received letters of patents from King Henry VII, pledging England’s political support. Financially he found backing from a Welsh merchant, Richard Ameryk, and a Florentine Banker named Bardi. In March, Cabot set sail from Bristol, but a storm, lack of supplies and a mutinous crew forced him to abort and to return to port.
It took more than a year for Cabot to retry. In May 1497, with a crew of only 18 on board of a humble ship dubbed the “Matthew”, they sailed west in hope of reaching Asia. By June 24, 1497, the waves brought them possibly to Southern Labrador, or New Foundland, or Cape Breton Island. They disembarked and on the shores, Cabot staked and unfurled the flags of England and Venice.
They observed the shores and sailed along the coast of the surrounding lands. They explored features which were later named the Cape Discovery, Island of St. John, St. George’s Cape, Trinity Islands, England's Cape and finally the Grand Bank Fishery. They found implements and remains of fire, understanding that people inhabited the lands. But being few, they decided not to investigate further fearing deadly confrontations. With a heavy heart of not finding any spices, silk, or gold, Cabot and his crew decided to return to England.
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| A commemorative stamp of Cabot's landing in New Foundland |
2. Mistaking lands for Asia
By the end of 1497, Cabot returned to Bristol and went to London to report his finding to the monarch. Cabot reported to the King of lands in the west which he presented as Asia, sharing the same folly as Columbus. Henry VII viewed the discovery as a good sign, but being notoriously stingy, he hoped for better returns, perhaps with some spices or silk. Nevertheless, the King rewarded Cabot with a year’s salary of a craftsman - 10 pounds sterling. He later added a 20 pound sterling annual pension.
3. One more try
Cabot knew his first expedition failed to bring home spices, and hoped to redeem himself with a 2nd expedition. He promised Henry VII to reach Zipangu (Japan) to which the English monarch relented. In February 1498, Cabot received his letter of patent from Henry VII and set out by May with a larger squadron of 5 ships crewed by 300 men. However, a storm in 1499 ravaged the squadron and Cabot was said to have disappeared and left for dead. The story of England’s Columbus ended with a mystery.
Besting Columbus…in Dying with a Mystery
Unlike Columbus who passed away a broke man, Cabot’s life story outshined him by ending with mystery deserving a detective cold-case story. The mystery of his disappearance attracted historical detectives with the likes of Dr. Alwyn Ruddock and Dr. Evan Jones. Some scholars found that the pension promised by the English Crown continued beyond 1499. Cabot was said to have returned quietly to England in 1499 and passed away of natural causes some time later. His return probably hushed down because he failed to reach Japan. In this, Cabot shared Columbus's fate of dying believing he'd reached Asia, but he bested him in one thing: knowing how to leave a better mystery behind.
Cabot’s Legacy
John Cabot represented the Age of Exploration in the margins. Spain and Portugal dominated the narrative, but Cabot’s story showed that other European countries shared the enthusiasm although at a more calculated and conservative rate. Cabot’s expedition further corroborated Columbus' findings of lands in the west, but reinforced the mistake that they found Asia.
Another legacy of Cabot was the Grand Bank Fishery. It may be a footnote in the grand scheme of search for a western passage to Asia, this area caused a stir among the fisherfolks of Iberia and France. The report of bountiful cod sounded gold in the ears of fishermen who went up in Cabot’s finds to scoop fish out and feed their population. Cabot may not have found Asia, but he found Europe a new source of protein.
John Cabot represented the Age of Exploration under a different flag. He represented the ambitions of Italian navigators of the age and the ambitions of other European countries beyond Portugal and Spain. He shared the misunderstanding of the age when he thought his finds to be Asia sharing the mistake of his idol Columbus. A greater tragedy also that the country Cabot served, England, stayed on the sidelines in the Age of Exploration while its competitors exploited his finds. John Cabot embodied the spirit of the age, the ambition of countries in the margin, and folly of reaching Asia truly becoming England’s Columbus.
References:
Damiani, Matteo. 2021. "John Cabot: The Mystery of the 1497 Voyage." Weird Italy. Last modified April 28, 2026. https://weirditaly.com/2021/12/08/facts-and-brief-biography-of-the-navigator-and-explorer-john-cabot/.
Ganong, W. F. 2003. "Cabot, John." In Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1. University of Toronto/Université Laval. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cabot_john_1E.html.
HISTORY.com Editors. 2009. "John Cabot." History. A&E Television Networks. Last modified May 28, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/john-cabot.
"John Cabot." n.d. EBSCO Research Starters. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/john-cabot.
"John Cabot and the First English Expedition to America." n.d. The History Press. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://thehistorypress.co.uk/article/john-cabot-and-the-first-english-expedition-to-america/.
"The John Day Letter." n.d. Heritage Newfoundland & Labrador. Reproduced from James A. Williamson, The Cabot Voyages and Bristol Discovery Under Henry VII (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1962), 212–214. https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/exploration/john-day.php.
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