What if a king handed you money and said, 'Go explore the unknown world!'?

The Day a Famous Sailor Became a Knight!

How Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) Got Rewarded for Finding New Lands

King Henry VII sent explorer John Cabot to find new lands, leading to England's first claim in North America!

Imagine sailing across a huge, mysterious ocean for weeks, not knowing what you'd find. That's exactly what Giovanni Caboto did! He was an Italian explorer who moved to England and became known as John Cabot.

On May 11, 1497, something super exciting happened. King Henry VII of England gave Cabot special permission and money to go exploring! The king basically said, 'Go find new lands for England, and I'll make you rich!'

Cabot was given a small ship called the Matthew — about the size of a school gym! Can you imagine crossing the Atlantic Ocean in something that tiny? With just 18 brave sailors, he set off from Bristol, England.

Why was this such a big deal? Well, just five years earlier, Christopher Columbus had sailed west and found the Caribbean. Now everyone in Europe wanted to find new routes and new lands!

💡 John Cabot's ship, the Matthew, was so small that a modern school bus is actually longer than his entire boat was!