Bristol
City in south-west England; hub for places from the reading.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | Mark Kurlansky | turning point | Cut off from Icelandic cod in 1475, Bristol merchants send ships west and quietly find new cod grounds. |
Sub-places
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World — Mark Kurlansky (1997)
Source: Cod · Original · Readwise highlight
Bristol’s well-protected but difficult-to-navigate harbor had greatly expanded as a trade center because of its location between Iceland and the Mediterranean.
- Role: turning point
- In the book: Bristol grows rich trading Icelandic dried cod and Spanish wine until the Hanseatic League cuts off Icelandic cod in 1475. Merchants such as Thomas Croft and John Jay then send ships west, and by 1490 they no longer need Iceland; Kurlansky argues they had found the North American cod grounds before John Cabot sailed from Bristol in 1497.
- Why it matters: The port where the search for cod may have led to an unannounced discovery of America.