Final answer:
John Cabot gave England a claim to Canada through his 1497 voyage, which allowed England to assert its claim to the North American mainland during the era of colonization.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Cabot gave England a claim to what is now Canada through his explorations under the commission of Henry VII. In May 1497, this Venetian mariner, residing in London, was authorized to find a northern route to Asia and ended up landing on Newfoundland in June, declaring it for England. Although no immediate colonization took place due to England's internal political and religious crises, Cabot's voyages provided the initial basis for English claims to the North American mainland when England later pursued colonization efforts in the New World.