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Henry
Hudson
(c. 1575-1611):
The Discoverer
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Henry Hudson
made four journeys that are recorded in the history books, and is
credited as the European discoverer of Hudson Bay. He is also remembered
for the sad end of his last voyage.
Hudson's first
three journeys in 1605, 1608 and 1609 were to find a short route
to Asia by going over the North Pole. He travelled farther north
than any European explorer had gone before, but he was stopped by
the ice and had to go back.
In 1610, he
decided to try to find the Northwest
Passage. By June, Hudson discovered a strait and that led to
a large body of water. He thought he was close to China and went
south. In reality, he had passed through what is now called Hudson
Strait and gone into Hudson Bay.
A map of Frobisher's, Davis's, and Hudson's voyages to the north
Hudson's ship
was caught by the ice and he had to spend the winter in Canada.
In the spring of 1611 the men mutinied and put Hudson, his son and
some other men on a small boat and left them behind.
The
mutineers went home. Some died in a battle with Inuit
on the way. By the time they reached London, only six of the original
twenty-two were left alive. The men who mutinied were never punished.
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Hudson's
men mutinied because he just wouldn't give up. After a long
and difficult winter, he wanted to keep looking for a way to
China!
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What
do you think Hudson's most important accomplishment was?
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