The Cabots and the Discovery of America: With a Brief Description and History of Brandon Hill, the Site of the Cabot Memorial Tower

The Cabots arrived on the shores of North America thirty-seven years before the Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower, yet their names have never achieved the mythic stature of Columbus or Hudson. Elizabeth Hodges's 1897 account restores these forgotten explorers to their proper place in the narrative of European discovery, tracing John Cabot's 1497 voyage from Bristol aboard the Matthew through the contentious family politics that followed. The book examines John's historic landing, likely on Canadian soil, which planted England's flag on the continent years before colonization truly began. It also untangles the bitter disputes over Sebastian Cabot's claims, a man who spent decades trying to cement his own legacy atop his father's achievements. Hodges weaves in the history of Brandon Hill and the memorial tower erected to honor these voyages, linking past exploration to present commemoration. The result is a window into an era when a single ship's journey could reshape the geopolitical world, and when the fight over who discovered what would echo through centuries of colonial history.