John Cabot Cabot is remembered for finding a shorter, faster route to North America through the North Atlantic. His explorations opened the way for Britain to claim Canada and establish colonies in North America.

John Cabot When John Cabot was a kid, he learned about trade routes and the sea from his father. His father was a spice merchant. His father taught John about sailing, mapmaking and navigation.

John Cabot When he was a young man, John heard about the adventures of Christopher Columbus. Like other young men of the time, he wanted to be an explorer, too. Thanks to his father, he was well trained to find his way across the sea. He made his first voyage in 1496. But Cabot had not brought enough food. He ran into a great deal of bad weather. Cabot was disappointed but smart. He turned his ship around and returned to England.

John Cabot The next year, in 1497, at the request of the king of England, Cabot set sail on his second voyage with one ship named Matthew and a crew of 18 men. He had more than ample food this time packed for the trip. It took about 50 days to make landfall on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

John Cabot The mission was to find a way across the New World to Asia. Cabot failed at that. He thought he landed in Asia, but he actually reached (what would become) Canada. John Cabot claimed this new land for England.

John Cabot The following year, 1498, Cabot set sail one more time with five ships and a few hundred men. One ship had to land in Ireland because of problems. The other four ships, along with Cabot, disappeared. It’s possible they perished in a storm. But no one knows for sure. What happened to John Cabot remains a history mystery.