Henry Hudson

Lore & Background

Virtually nothing of Hudson's early life is known for certain. His year of birth is variously estimated between 1560 and 1570. He may have been born in London and it is possible that his father was an alderman of that city. When Hudson first entered the historical record in 1607, he was already an experienced mariner with sufficient credentials to be commissioned the leader of an expedition charged with a search for a trade route across the North Pole. In 1607, the Muscovy Company of England hired Hudson to find a northerly route to the Pacific coast of Asia. On 1 May 1607, Hudson sailed with a crew of ten men and a boy on the 80-ton Hopewell. They reached the east coast of Greenland on 13 May, coasting northward until 22 May. On 13 July, Hudson and his crew estimated that they had sailed as far north as 80° 23′ N, but had more likely only reached 79° 23′ N. The expedition returned to Tilbury Hope on the River Thames on 15 September. In 1608, English merchants again sent Hudson in Hopewell to attempt to locate a passage to the Indies, this time to the east around northern Russia. Leaving London on 22 April, the ship travelled almost 2,500 mi (4,000 km), making it to Novaya Zemlya well above the Arctic Circle in July, but even in the summer they found the ice impenetrable and turned back, arriving at Gravesend on 26 August. In 1609, Hudson was chosen by merchants of the Dutch East India Company in the Netherlands to find an easterly passage to Asia. Hudson departed Amsterdam on 4 April, in command of the Dutch ship Halve Maen. He could not complete the specified route because ice blocked the passage, and he turned the ship around in mid-May while somewhere east of Norway's North Cape. Acting outside his instructions, Hudson pointed the ship west and decided to try to seek a westerly passage through North America. They reached the Grand Banks of Newfoundland on 2 July, and in mid-July made landfall near the LaHave area of Nova Scotia. On 3 September, he reached the estuary of the river that initially was called the 'North River' or 'Mauritius' and now carries his name. On 6 September 1609, John Colman of his crew was killed by natives with an arrow to his neck. Hudson sailed into the Upper New York Bay on 11 September, and the following day encountered a large group of 28 Lenape canoes occupied by Lenape Natives, from whom he bought oysters and beans. He then began a journey up what is now known as the Hudson River. Over the next ten days his ship ascended the river, reaching a point near Stuyvesant Landing (Old Kinderhook). On 23 September, Hudson decided to return to Europe. On his way back to Holland, he put in at Dartmouth, England on 7 November, and was detained by authorities who wanted access to his log. In 1610, Hudson obtained backing for another voyage, this time under the English flag. The funding came from the Virginia Company and the British East India Company. At the helm of his new ship Discovery, he travelled to the north. He reached Iceland on 11 May, the south of Greenland on 4 June, and then rounded the southern tip of Greenland. On 25 June, the explorers reached what is now the Hudson Strait at the northern tip of Labrador. Following the southern coast of the strait on 2 August, the ship entered Hudson Bay. Hudson spent the following months mapping and exploring its eastern shores, but he and his crew did not find a passage to Asia. In November, ice trapped the ship in James Bay. In 1611, after wintering on the shore of James Bay, Hudson wanted to press on to the west, but most of his crew mutinied. The mutineers cast Hudson, his son, and six others adrift; what then happened to the Hudsons and their companions is unknown.

Reader's Guide

Henry Hudson's significance lies in his exploratory voyages that opened new geographic knowledge and trade routes. His 1609 expedition for the Dutch East India Company, though originally intended to find an easterly passage, resulted in the exploration of the Hudson River and established Dutch claims to the region, leading to the fur trade and the founding of New Amsterdam. His earlier voyages for English merchants in 1607 and 1608 attempted to find a Northeast Passage and contributed to later whaling activity, though the extent of his role in that industry is disputed. Hudson's final voyage discovered Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay, but ended in mutiny and his disappearance. His contributions to the exploration of the New World were significant and lasting, helping to establish European contact with native peoples and developing trade and commerce. The uncertainty surrounding his fate and the gaps in his early life add to his historical mystique.

Did You Know?

• Hudson's year of birth is variously estimated between 1560 and 1570, and virtually nothing of his early life is known for certain.
• On 6 September 1609, John Colman of Hudson's crew was killed by natives with an arrow to his neck.
• Hudson's 1607 expedition returned to Tilbury Hope on the River Thames on 15 September, after sailing as far north as an estimated 80° 23′ N.
• In 1611, after wintering on the shore of James Bay, Hudson's crew mutinied and cast him, his son, and six others adrift; their fate is unknown.
• Hudson's 1609 voyage on the Halve Maen established Dutch claims to the region and to the fur trade, leading to the founding of New Amsterdam in 1625.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

1. Some people believe Henry Hudson was the first European to discover the Hudson River, but the facts show he explored a river already known to Indigenous peoples, and earlier European explorers like Giovanni da Verrazzano had likely visited the region. 2. It is often assumed Hudson’s voyages were all English-funded, but his 1609 expedition was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, and he sailed under Dutch command aboard the *Halve Maen*.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Henry Hudson’s legacy endures because his search for a passage to Asia unintentionally opened the door to European colonization in North America, shaping the future of New York, Canada, and the broader Atlantic world. His final, mysterious disappearance on the bay that now bears his name continues to capture the imagination, symbolizing both the risks of exploration and the human cost of geographic ambition.