Figure 1.--This painting, "The last voyage of Henry ", shows the explorer with his son John in the small boat after mutinous sailors set them adrift. This is of course an imaginative recreation. The painting was done by John Maler Collier, a British writer and painter in the Pre-Raphaelite style. He was one of the most prominent English portratist of his generation.

Henry Hudson (1565?-1611) was one of the most important English explorers. We know next to nothing about his early life, but he probably served as a ship's boy. Like many explorers of his age, he was primarily concerned with finding a Northwest pasage to provide an easy trade connection between northern Europe and Asia. His first expeditions were made in the survice of Muscovy. He is best known for his expeditions to North America. He made four voyages of discovery primarily aimed at finding the Northwest Passage. He thus explored the northwestern Atlantic along the coast of North America and the Arctic Ocean On his third voyage (1609) he explored along the coast of North America 150 miles up what is now known as the Hudson River. On his fourth voyage abord the Half Moon (1610) Hudson still searching for the Northwest passage found what is now known as Hudson Bay where his crew mutined and Hudson and his son perished. Henry Hudson helped established New World claims for both the Dutch (New York area) and the English (northern Canada). Today the Hudson River, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay are all named for Hudson.

Childhood

We know next to nothing about Hudson's early life. Historians believe he was English, but are not sure where he was born. He was probably born about 1565, but the precise date is uncertain. Some historians believe that Henry was the grandson of a London alderman who helped found the Muscovy Company. He he probably served as a ship's boy where he bgan to lean nautical skills. While it is not know just how and where he acquired his nautical skills, it is probable he was involved in the Baltic nautical trade between Europe and Russia. We do know that by the early 17th century that he was an accomplished navigator.

Northerly Passages

Like many explorers of his age, Hudson was primarily concerned with finding a route to the East. The great European voyags of discovery were begun by the Portuguese attempting to fight a sea route to Asia. At the times products produced by China (silk and porselin) and the spices of the East could bring riches in the West. The Portuguese had found a riute by sailing south around Africa. The Spanish had sailed west and found the America. The southern sea routes found were very long, requiring voyages around Africa (Cape of Good Hope) and South america (Cape Horn). Hudson is best known for his expeditions to North America. As the world was round and by Hudson's time the size of the earth was roughly established, it seemed obvious that a northery (Arctic) route was feasible. This would provide an easy trade connection between northern Europe and Asia. Hudson made four voyages of discovery primarily aimed at finding the Northwest Passage. He explored the northwestern Atlantic along the coast of North America and the Arctic Ocean

First Two Voyages: Muscovy Company (1607-08)

Hudson's first two expeditions were made in the service of the Muscovy Company. That did not mean Muscovy and the tsars. The Muscoy Company was an English company trading with Muscovy (Russia). Hudson was engaged by Muscovy Company (1607) to find a northeastern sea passage to Asia. Muscovy was a trading city, prospering from the trade between northern Europe and the Black Sea. The Muscovy Company prospered by trading into the Baltic and trading with Russia. They also wanted access to Asia (China), but direct access through the Slik Road was blocked by central Asia khanates. Hudson conducted two expeditions for Muscovy (1607 and 1608). At first he thought he could sale over the pole, but the ice and freezing winds made this impossdible and he was forced to turn back. On his first expedition he found Spitzbergen and Jan Mayen Island (1607). He got closer to the North Pole than any other previous explorer. In his second expedition he decided not to sail so far north, but try to follow the coast oif Russia. He reached Novaya Zemlya (1608). Again the frigid, Arctic conditions forced him to turn back wihout finding a possible passage. He wanted to sail toward North America, but his crew by this time was ready to mutiny and he sailded back toward England. Hudson had failed to find a passage, but he significantly improved European knowledge of northern waters.

NorthwWestern Passage Rumors

Many navigators in the early 17th centuries speculated about a northwestern passage. Columbus's original voyage was desuigned to ind a westerly passage to the East. It took European several decades to work out th there was no easy passage. Balboa found the Pacific by crossing the Istmus of Panama (1513). Magellan found a passage in the far southb around the tip of South America (1521). One after another the major estuaries along te coast were explored (La Plata, Amazon, Orionoo Mississippi, and the Cheaspeak Bay) were explored and ruled out as a way of reaching the Pacific. The coast of the Americas, except for the north, was fairly well established by the turn of the 17th century. The last remaining major question was whether there was a northwest passage, English explorer George Weymouth sailed west and returned with tales of a possible northwestern passage (1602). John Smith who play a major role in the Jamestown colony (1607) speculated about a possible westerly route. Hudson wth his experience in northern waters began to think in terms of a northwestern passage.

Third Voyage: Dutch East India Company (1609)

Sea voyages were expensive undertakings and Hudson's voyages, while learning a great deal, lost substatial sums. The Muscovy Company was not prepared to finance aby further voyages. Next Hudson was engaged by the Dutch East India Company in (1609). The Company had a monopoly with the Dutch trade with Asia. They were also interested in finding a northeast passage. At the time, Dutch vessels had to take the long, hugely expensive southern route to India and China. They chose Hudson to lead the expedition because of his experience in the north. The Company sid not want to finance an extended voyage. They just wanted him to investigate the northern coast of Novaya Zemlya. If there was no passage there then he should return. Hudson had sailed from Amsterdam with a mixed Dutch-English crew aboard the Half Moon (April 1609). Again he encounteed dreadful Arctic weather. The crew began to complain and mutiny was possible. Hudson decided at this point to give up on a northeastern passage. He decided, however, instead of returning to Amserrdam with another failure to sail west. Discussions with other explorers like Weymouth amd Smith had left Hudson to believe that there could be a northwest passage. Sailing west, however, meant violating his orders. He had concluded ny this time that a northeastern sea passage was impossible. Hudson now set about finding a westerly passage. He managed to convince a dubious crew who were, however, happy not to be sailig further north. Hiudson sailed west. reaching Nova Scotia, and then sailed south, probably going as far south as the Chesapeake Bay. He entered the Bay, but concluded there was no major westerly outlet. He was the first Europan to find and explore the Hudson River. Giovanni da Verrazzano had previously sailed by the area (1524). The Hudson is the major river in New York and Hudson entertained some hope of a river pasage through North America. Hudson sailed into what is now New York harbor (1609) and noted the fine natural harbors. Hudson sailed up the river for about 150 miles to the area of modern Albany. They had encounters with the Native Americans and he noted the abundant land, but finally concluded as the river became more shallow that it was not a water passage to Asia. Hudson wanted to winter in North America. The crew demanded that he return. His exploratins established a Dutch claim to the Hudson River Valley, including modern New York City. reports when they were publicized in the Netherlands. Adriaen Block and Hendrick Christiaensen founded the New Netherlands Company (1614). The Company sponsored the Dutch settlement of the New York area.

Dutch-English Relations

The Dutch and English had a very important, but complicated relationship. Henry Hudson's expeditions were a part of that developing relationhip. The English after the advent of the Reformation supported the Dutch War for Independence from Catholic Spain (1561-1648). The Great Armada (1588) was one event in this struggle. While the English did not want the Spanish and French to conquer the Dutch, the English had their own issues with the Dutch. The Dutch whilke fighting off the Spanish has done nothing less than invent capitalism in the form of limited capital corporaions. And they built a huge trading fleet which with British help assisted in the wars with Soiun and France. The Dutch trading empire brought them in conflict with England. The English and Dutch became involved in a commercial rivalry with the Dutch for land and markets in North America, the Cribbean, South America, Africa, and the Far East. The English unlike the Spanish and Frech, did not want to cobquer the Netherlands. They did want to limit competition. This eventually resulted in the Dutch-English Naval Wars (1652-78). The Dutch-English relationship was durther comolicated by religion and the English religious/dynastic struggles. Protestant monarchs were favorably disposed toward the Dutch. Queen Mary, however, attempted to return England to Catholicism. And the Stuarts while heads of the Church of England were more desposed to France and Catholocism. Charles II converted on his deathbed and James II was openly Catholic. This eventually led to invasion by a Dutch Protestant army led by William of Orange which the English celebate as the Glorious Revolution (1688). Parliament forced King William to accept a constitutional monarcy--in esence the first modern monarchy. In return it financed what he wanted, a war with Louis XIV's France to preserve Dutch independence--King William's War. This began a series of wars with France that did not end until Waterloo (1815). The English-Dutch relationship is particularly important because of the role it played, combined with their American colonies, in the development and preservation of Western democracy.

Fourth Voyage: England (1610-11)

Hudson returning from his third voyage on the Half Moon, but landed in Dartmouth (Devonshire) rather than Amsterdam. The English at the time while supporting Dutch independence from Catholic Spain were also involved in a commercial rivalry with the Dutch. King James had Hudson arrested. The English Government refused to allow Hudson and the English sailors to continue on to Amsterdam. The Dutch crew and the Half Moon were eventually allowed to leave. King James eventually dropped the charges against Hudson. London investors raised money to finance an English expedition. Hudson on his fourth passage sailed northwest (1610). This expedition was planned to follow up on Weymouth’s speculation about a northerly passage. Hudson in the English ship Discovery sailed northwest, passing through the Hudson Strait between Labrador and Baffin Island and into Hudson Bay. The size of the Bay led Hudson to believe that he had found the Pacific Ocean. Hudson set about exploring and it gradually becae apparent that they were in a huge Bay and not the Pacific. Hudson spent months exploring the lower reaches of the vast northerly bad tht now bears his name. When winter set in, the Discovery was locked in ice at James Bay. The crew seethed with fear and anger, but there were sufficent supplies to last out the winter. The ice finlly broke (June 1611). Even though supplies were dangerously low, Hudson wanted to continue west. The crew which considered themselves lucky to have survived the winter wanted no part of this and mutinied. The mutiny was led by Juet and Henry Greene. They set Hudson, his son, and seven loyal crew members adrift in a small, open boat without food or water (figure 1). They were then lost to history. They died in unknown circumstances. A Native American legend reportedly recounts finding a small boat and young boy. Cree elders recount stories they may well be based on Hudson's cast off group. The actual circunstances, however, are lost to history. Henry Greene and other crew members were killed by Eskimoes. Juet Greene also died. The surviving crew members led by Robert Bylot managed to get the Discovery back to England. They were never prosecuted for the mutiny.

Created: 7:17 PM 4/19/2008
Last updated: 6:52 PM 7/31/2015