John Cabot: Voyage across the Atlantic and Exploration of North America

John Cabot was an Italian-born navigator and explorer who, after gaining Venetian citizenship, secured the backing of King Henry VII of England to seek a western sea route to Asia. In 1497, sailing from Bristol aboard the Matthew, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached the eastern coastline of North America. This historic voyage marked the first European exploration of coastal mainland North America since the Norse expeditions. By claiming the territory for the English Crown, Cabot laid the historical foundation for future English colonial ambitions and settlement across the continent.

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