Henry+Hudson+-+6C

=HENRY HUDSON= =__Introduction__= Henry Hudson was an English explorer and a sea captain. He was born on September 12 1507 and died on June 22 1611. Henry Hudson as an explorer tried four times to find the passage to Asia but on his fourth which was the northwest route he got trapped in ice and died. The part of the sea that he died in is now known as the Hudson Bay.

=__Purpose__= The purpose of his journies were to find the northwest passage (three times) and the northeast passage (once) to get the spices and goods of the Orient.

=__Route__=   The first voyage was in 1607 when the Muscovy Company chose Henry Hudson to lead a new voyage to find a water route to Asia. Henry Hudson and his crew set sail on the //Hopewell // on May 1st 1607. The //Hopewell // headed for Greenland and then sailed northwest. Through the end of June the //Hopewell // sailed through the northern passage. On June 27th the //Hopewell // came the Spitzberg. When they were at the northern tip of Spitzberg the //Hopewell // was within 577 miles from the North Pole. The //Hopewell // had sailed farther north than any ship had ever gone before. There they stopped. On July 31st Hudson gave command to return to England. This voyage did not succeed to find the Orient. The second voyage was three months after his return to England. He agreed to take the //Hopewell// on an northeast voyage along the coast of Russia in 1608. By June 7th he rounded the most northern part of Norway. He planned to sail around the island Nova Zembla, an island north of Russia. Hudson thought he would be led to the Orient if he rounded the island Nova Zemblaand and sailed on the Kara Sea. He found lots of ice and returned home. For Hudsons third voyage The Dutch East India Company hired Hudson. They wanted him to look for a northwest passage but farther south. Hudson sailed with ship //Half Moon//. Hudson sailed to Nova Scotia and then sailed south. He had found the Hudson River in New York City. Henry Hudson was credited for finding this location but before him Verrazano had sailed by the area in 1524. Henry Hudson sailed into the New York harbor on September 3rd, 1609. He noted that it was an excellent harbor. He then sailed up the river about 150 miles and realized that this was not a waterway to Asia. The fourth voyage was to try to find the northwest passage. Henry Hudson and his crew got support from the English financers for another voyage. His main sponser was Sir Thomas Smith. Henry Hudson set sail on the //Discovery// on April 17, 1610. Near the beginning of the journey fights broke out and almost cause a mutiny. The //Discovery// sailed throuhg the dangerous waters of the Arctic waters into a large body of water which is now called Hudson Bay. By winter the crew had sailed hundreds of miles South unable to go home or continue sailing. The crew had to suffer in the harsh winter climate, one crew member died and many sufered from scurvy or starvation. Hudson wanted to continue his exploration, but the crew wanted to go home. Fights started and Hudson accussed some crew members of stealing food and keeping it for later. Eventually the crew mutinied. The crew put Hudson, his son and seven crew members on a life boat and left. His ship and crew was never seen or heardform again.

=__Hardships and Challenges__= On Hudsons first voyage the //Hopewell // was often sailing in fog. There only source of heat was a small fire. It was a very tough voyage to do because if they got wet they would stay wet because of their woolen cloths. The ropes on the ship were crusted with ice, and when the men tried to set sail they would cut themselves. On the second voyage Henry found fog and cold winds that were not on his side. They encountered ice, storms and angry seas. Even on calm seas there were dangers. On June 30th The fog became very thick and ice was tossed at the ship by a powerful currentand almost crushed the //Hopewell.// On the fourth Voyage the crew started to get scurvy and almost died of starvation so when Henry hudson wanted to keep exploring the crew mutinied him.

=__Interesting Facts__= Some interesting facts about Henry Hudson was that he came from a wealthy family and Henry Hudson was well educated. Also on the morning of June 15th the Hopewell came across what two crew members thought was a mermaid because back then people believed in monsters and memaids. The creature may have also been a manetee.

=__Historical Contributions__= Henry Hudson has three bodys of water named after him the Hudson Bay, the Hudson Straight and the Hudson River. He is famous for his three attempts to find the northwest passage and one attempt northeast for the passage to the Orient.

http://www.freewebs.com/henry_h/
Goodman, Joan Elizabeth. __Beyond The Sea of Ice__. New York: Mikaya Press, 1999. Manning, Ruth. Henry Hudson. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2000.