Here's why:
* Limited literacy: While some scholars believe Cabot may have been literate, it's highly unlikely he was well-educated. There's no record of him writing or having a formal education.
* Timing: Autobiographies were not common during Cabot's lifetime (1450s-1498). The concept of personal narratives was still developing.
* Lost records: Even if Cabot had written an account, it could have been lost over time. Many historical documents from that era have not survived.
While we don't have Cabot's own words, there are some historical sources that provide information about his life and voyages:
* Voyage accounts: There are accounts of Cabot's voyages written by others, like the Venetian ambassador in London, who reported on Cabot's return.
* Letters and documents: Some historical documents, like Cabot's letters of patent from King Henry VII, offer clues about his intentions and motivations.
* Secondary sources: Historians have pieced together information about Cabot's life from a variety of sources, creating a detailed picture of his exploration and its impact.
So, while we don't have a firsthand autobiography from John Cabot, we can learn about him through the records and interpretations of others.