Discoveries. In 1497, Cabot traveled by sea from Bristol to Canada, which he mistook for Asia. Cabot made a claim to the North American land for King Henry VII of England, setting the course for England's rise to power in the 16th and 17th centuries. John Cabot was born in Italy but sponsored to take a voyage in the New World by England. He took the first voyage in the belief of finding the shortest route to reach Asia from the northern part of America. John Cabot sails to the west to reach his destination. His discoveries led to the discovery and colonization by the British in Canada, Newfoundland, Labrador, and Cape Breton Island.
