Merchants, Monarchs, and Sixteenth-Century Atlantic Exploration: New Insight into Henry VIII's Planned Voyage of 1521

In 1521 Henry VIII of England and Cardinal Wolsey requested the Worshipful Company of Drapers and other London guilds to assist in a westward voyage. After the Drapers' repeated refusal to contribute the requested assistance the expedition was canceled. Previous scholarship points to the failur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Terrae incognitae 2020-05, Vol.52 (2), p.214-228
Main Author:	Towns, Lydia
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	drapers guild Enrique VIII Exploración exploration Gremio de los pañeros Henri VIII Henry VIII l'exploration la guilde des Drapers le 16 mercers company Mercers Company (la guilde des marchands de tissus) Sebastian Cabot Sebastián Caboto Siglo XVI sixteenth century siècle ème
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Summary:	In 1521 Henry VIII of England and Cardinal Wolsey requested the Worshipful Company of Drapers and other London guilds to assist in a westward voyage. After the Drapers' repeated refusal to contribute the requested assistance the expedition was canceled. Previous scholarship points to the failure of this expedition as an indicator that Henry VIII was uninterested in exploration. However, by revisiting the details of this expedition, this article argues that this expedition reveals Henry's active interest in the Atlantic world and deepens our understanding of Henry and sixteenth-century exploration. Henry's Atlantic forays, whether realized or not, highlight a much more well-rounded and strategic monarch than past narratives have led us toward. Revisiting the failed expeditions of the early sixteenth century, as exemplified by the voyage of 1521, adds greater depth to our understanding of Atlantic exploration, sixteenth-century monarchical goals, and the attitudes of the guilds toward exploration.
ISSN:	0082-2884 2040-8706