was an English explorer and sea captain who made four voyages in an attempt to discover a northern route between Europe and Asia (the so-called Northwest Passage). Although he never found such a passage, he sailed farther north than any previous explorer. He also explored three North American waterways that were later named for him -- the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait.

Little is known about Hudson's life prior to his voyages of discovery.

First and Second Voyages

In 1607, the Muscovy Company, an English trading firm, hired Hudson to find a northern sea route to Asia. Hudson set out from England in a ship called the Hopewell with his young son, John, and a crew of 10 men. He sailed northeast along the coast of Greenland and reached Spitsbergen, about 700 miles from the North Pole, but huge ice floes forced him to return to England. His report of seeing many whales in the northern waters led to English and Dutch whaling near Spitsbergen.

In 1608, Hudson made another attempt to find a northern route, but ice again blocked the Hopewell.

Third Voyage

After Hudson's failure to find a Northwest Passage, the Muscovy Company lost interest in further attempts. But, in 1609, the Dutch East India Company hired Hudson to lead an expedition. The company gave him a ship, the Half Moon, and a crew of 18 men.

Hudson set sail from Amsterdam and initally sailed northeast, but his crew became unruly because of the severe cold and he changed course for North America and sailed down the east coast. After reaching what is now Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, he turned north and briefly explored Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. He then traveled up what became known as the Hudson River to the site of present-day Albany, New York. The Netherlands based its claims to land in North America on Hudson's voyage.

Fourth Voyage

In 1610, a group of English merchants formed a company that provided Hudson with a ship called the Discovery. Hudson crossed the Atlantic and arrived just off the eastern coast of Labrador. From there the Discovery reached a body of rough water we now know as the Hudson Strait, which in turn led into Hudson Bay. Hudson thought he had finally reached the Pacific Ocean. He sailed south into what is now James Bay, but failed to find an outlet at its southern end. Ice forced the men to spend the winter there, and Hudson and his crew suffered severely from cold, hunger, and disease.

In the spring of 1611, Hudson intended to search for a western outlet from James Bay. But the crew mutinied and set Hudson adrift in a small boat with his son and seven loyal crewmen. Hudson and his party were never seen again.

The mutineers sailed back to England, and their report gave continued hope that a Northwest Passage existed. England based its claim to the vast Hudson Bay region on Hudson's voyage. Exploration of the region led to the establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1670. No record survives to suggest that the mutineers themselves were ever punished for their actions.

Questions or comments about this page?

John Parker. "Henry Hudson." The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago:World Book-Childcraft International, Inc., 1979.

Who was Henry Hudson Anyway? And What Happened to Him? Half Moon Press, 1996. http://www.hudsonriver.com/halfmoonpress/stories/hudson.htm
Age of Exploration. The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia. http://www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/hudson.php
Ian Chadwick's Biography of Henry Hudson. http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/

Northwest Passage
Greenland

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American History.--Discovery of America and Early Explorations.

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