Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson, born in 1565 in England, was a Dutch Explorer must known for navigating the Hudson River, the Hudson Bay, and the Hudson Strait. He was one of the first European explorers to visit and document modern-day New York. Not much is known about Hudson’s early life, but he was most likely a well-educated cartographer, navigator, and astronomer.
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He became the commander of his first ship in 1607. Hudson made a total of four voyages, and his main goal was to find a northwest passage to Asia. His first two voyages were for England, and he attempted to sail northeast to reach Asia. However, both of these voyages failed when he was forced to turn back because of icy conditions. His third voyage in 1609 was perhaps his most famous due to his discovery of the Hudson River. At first, he sailed north to try to find the Northwest Passage, but when he ran into ice, he decided to sail towards the Northeast Passage. This led to his discovery to the mouth of the Hudson River, which he followed all the way to modern-day Albany. He also traded with the Mahican Indians and helped the Dutch claim much of modern-day New York. On his fourth voyage, Hudson discovered the Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait. However, his crew was angry with him because they were low on supplies and temperatures were low, causing them to have to stay on the voyage for the winter. In the summer of 1611, Hudson was abandoned by his crew due to these tensions and died, most likely because of exposure to the elements.
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