England's claims to land in the New World were based on the explorations of which two explorers together?

• A. John Cabot and Sir Francis Drake
• B. Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci
• C. Ferdinand Magellan and Henry Hudson
• D. James Cook and Vasco da Gama

Answer: (A)

John Cabot and Sir Francis Drake. England’s early footholds in the New World came from explorers the country sponsored. Cabot sailed to the coast of what’s now Canada in 1497 and claimed that land for England, giving England a starting claim in North America. Later, Drake’s voyages along the Atlantic coast and around the world helped strengthen England’s presence and rights to territories in the region. Together, Cabot’s first claim and Drake’s voyages show how England built its claims in the New World. The other pairs involve explorers from other countries or different contexts that aren’t the basis for England’s land claims in the same way.