(1450-1499) Cabot (b. Giovanni Caboto) was an Italian-born explorer who served England. His voyages in 1497 and 1498 laid the groundwork for British claims to Canada. After hearing of Columbus's passage, Cabot proposed sailing westward to Asia, but at a far northern latitude. In 1497 his crew landed on the Labrador coast of Newfoundland, which he claimed for England. Believing that he had reached northeastern Asia, he returned to England for more money and supplies. He embarked on his second voyage in 1498, hoping to reach Japan, but his ship was lost at sea.
