HIST 1093 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Northwest Passage, English Channel, Spice Trade
Document Summary
English and french fishermen were increasingly sailing into the north atlantic. Had most likely reached the grand banks (near greenland and new england) rich in cod. Dutch sailors began facilitating trade between portugal and northern europe. Occasionally they"d go with the portuguese as well. England and france wanted new routes to asia to beat out portugal, imaged there was a sea route through the americas. 1496 king henry vii hired john cabot of genoa to claim land if he found it and to search for the north west passage. Cabot thought sailing through the north of the americas to find a route to the spices in northern asia. Cabot left in may 1497 and reached newfoundland in june. Claimed it for england and then returned to report what he"d found. Left again and four of the five ships including himself and his ship failed before he got there - drowned. 1524 french laid own claim to newfoundland.
