The Life and Times of John Cabot

John Cabot was born in Italy, likely Genoa, in about 1450. His given name was Giovanni Cabato and he moved to Venice around 1460. He became a Venetian citizen in 1476 after traveling the Middle East with his family. After getting into financial trouble by slipping out of town late at night, he left for Spain. It is not known exactly how Cabot got the idea of leading an expedition to the New World.