its interesting how Cabot worked for both Spain and England and English merchants financed a Spanish expedition.. why didnt the Spanish try to keep the seafaring knowledge secret?
Great question. Cabot seems to have been very good at playing both sides, claiming at various times that he needed permission from the Spanish king, and at other times from the English king. He seems to have been able to move at times when Spain and England were diplomatically aligned (usually against France).
He claimed to have been born in Bristol (though historians reckon Venice is more likely), but his father was from Italy and his wife appears to have been Spanish. So he had a sort of go-between status, and I imagine his skill opened a lot of doors - think of Genoese Columbus being able to appeal to Portugal and Spain when searching for patrons.
The merchants in question were similar: Robert Thorne, their apparent leader, was based in both Bristol and Seville, and seems to have been treated as almost a Spanish citizen (despite also being an English MP!)
its interesting how Cabot worked for both Spain and England and English merchants financed a Spanish expedition.. why didnt the Spanish try to keep the seafaring knowledge secret?
Great question. Cabot seems to have been very good at playing both sides, claiming at various times that he needed permission from the Spanish king, and at other times from the English king. He seems to have been able to move at times when Spain and England were diplomatically aligned (usually against France).
He claimed to have been born in Bristol (though historians reckon Venice is more likely), but his father was from Italy and his wife appears to have been Spanish. So he had a sort of go-between status, and I imagine his skill opened a lot of doors - think of Genoese Columbus being able to appeal to Portugal and Spain when searching for patrons.
The merchants in question were similar: Robert Thorne, their apparent leader, was based in both Bristol and Seville, and seems to have been treated as almost a Spanish citizen (despite also being an English MP!)