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Grade 3 Social Studies · World 5: Explorers · Level 33
John Cabot
The 1497 voyage for England to the coast of North America.
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 33
- John Cabot was born in Italy, where his name was Giovanni Caboto. Like Columbus, he hoped to reach Asia by sailing west, but farther north.
- King Henry VII of England paid for his trip. In 1497, Cabot sailed from Bristol, England, on a small ship called the Matthew, with a crew of about 18.
- After about five weeks, he reached the coast of North America, probably the island of Newfoundland, in what is now Canada. Historians aren't sure of the exact spot.
- He claimed the land for England. He thought he had reached Asia too! His crew saw so many codfish that they could scoop them up in baskets.
- Cabot's claim mattered: later, England said it gave them the right to start colonies in North America. Cabot sailed again in 1498, and he was never seen again.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS3H2.b — Describe the accomplishments of: John Cabot (England), Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Spain), Hernando de Soto (Spain), Christopher Columbus (Spain), Henry Hudson (The Netherlands), and Jacques Cartier (France).