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The early English voyages and their focus on the Atlantic coastline of North America.
Imagine you found a secret shortcut that could make you the richest person in the world. Would you risk a journey across a giant, unknown ocean to find it?
In the late s, European leaders were obsessed with one thing: Asia. Asia had silk, gold, and spices that were worth a fortune. However, getting there by land was dangerous and slow. Explorers dreamed of finding the Northwest Passage, a legendary water route that would let ships sail right through North America to reach the Pacific Ocean. They didn't realize yet that North America was a massive continent blocking their way! For England, finding this shortcut meant they could become the most powerful nation on Earth.
Quick Check
What was the main goal of the 'Northwest Passage'?
Answer
To find a water shortcut through North America to reach the riches of Asia.
In , an Italian sailor named John Cabot convinced King Henry VII of England to pay for a voyage. Cabot sailed a small ship called the Matthew with a crew of only men. He headed north and west, braving icebergs and stormy seas. After weeks at sea, he spotted the rocky coast of what we now call Newfoundland (in modern-day Canada). Cabot was the first explorer since the Vikings to reach the mainland of North America, though he mistakenly thought he had reached the coast of Asia!
If John Cabot's ship traveled about miles per day and the journey was roughly miles long, we can find the travel time using this formula:
1. Divide the total distance by the daily speed. 2. The result is days of sailing across the open Atlantic Ocean!
Quick Check
Who was the king that paid for John Cabot's voyage?
Answer
King Henry VII of England.
When Cabot landed, he performed a special ceremony. He stepped onto the shore and planted the English flag. This was called making a claim. In the eyes of European kings, a 'claim' meant that because their explorer found the land first, that country now 'owned' it. Cabot claimed the entire Atlantic coastline for England. This gave England the legal excuse to send more people later to build colonies, even though many Native American groups had already been living on that land for thousands of years.
Think of a 'claim' like a giant game of 'Flag Tag' on a map: 1. Step 1: An explorer finds a 'new' area (new to Europe). 2. Step 2: They plant a flag and name the land for their King. 3. Step 3: They write it on a map.
Even if the explorer only saw mile of beach, the King would often claim the land for miles in every direction!
Cabot's voyage was a turning point. Although he never found the gold of Asia or the Northwest Passage, he found something else: fish. The waters off Newfoundland were so full of cod that sailors said they could catch them just by lowering a basket into the water! This discovery proved that the 'New World' had valuable resources. England used Cabot's maps and claims to justify their future empire in North America, eventually leading to the colonies that would become the United States.
What was the name of John Cabot's ship?
Why did explorers want to find the Northwest Passage?
John Cabot was the first person to ever live in Newfoundland.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain to a friend what a 'land claim' is and why the English wanted to find a shortcut to Asia.
Practice Activity
Draw a simple map showing England on the right and North America on the left. Draw a dotted line for Cabot's path and label the 'Northwest Passage' where he hoped it would be.