By Aileen Peddie Teacher Mrs Lombardi 2013 Early

By: Aileen Peddie Teacher: Mrs. Lombardi 2013

Early Life Not much was known about Henry Hudson’s early life. He was probably born sometime around 1570, possibly September 12, 1570. Henry Hudson grew up in a three story brick house near the Tower of London. Hudson also had a wife named Katherine and three children, Richard, John, and Oliver. As a young man Hudson probably served for the Muscovy Company because his grandfather could’ve been a founder and records show that relatives could have served there too.

Famil y Like Henry’s early life not much is know about his family. Grand father • • • Henry’s grandfather, also named Henry, was a co-founder of the Muscovy Company. He was wealthy and an alderman in London in the mid 1550’s. Much of his wealth came from his friendship with Henry the VIII and his work in trading. . Father and Brothers • • • Henry’s father and brothers worked for the Muscovy Company. Henry’s brother, Thomas, was a sea captain who made at least one voyage to Persia. Henry’s brother, Christopher, was a consultant for Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s voyage to America in 1583. Wife and Children • • • Little is known about Henry’s wife Katherine other than she was strong willed and persistent at trying to get recognition for her husband’s accomplishments. Henry and his wife had three sons named Richard, John, and Oliver. John sailed with his father on all of his father’s voyages as a ship’s boy.

First Voyage 1607: Northern Passage Henry’s first voyage was for the Muscovy Company. The company wanted Henry to “discover a passage by the North Pole to Japan and China”. The first voyage of Henry’s ship, the Hopewell, set sail on April 23, 1607 from London England. From the beginning of the voyage the weather conditions were terrible. Even in the bad weather conditions Henry and his crew were able to explore and map the eastern coast of Greenland. In July they entered a bay with what seemed to be a very green sea. In the bay they saw a lot of different animals like sea-horses, seals, walruses, and whales. The Hopewell got to within 577 nautical miles of the North Pole but was prevented from continuing north by icebergs. The Hopewell almost collided with a breakaway iceberg, but they were able to get away just in time. In late July, after many attempts to get around the ice and with supplies running low, Hudson decided to return home to England. North Pole England

Second Voyage 1608: Northeast Passage Three months after Henry’s first voyage he was eager to sail again. He was looking for a Northeast passage through Russia. The Muscovy Company commissioned him to find a trading route north of Russia to China. Hudson and his crew left St. Katherine’s docks on April 22, 1608, on the Hopewell. They sailed northeast for the first month of the voyage. Again , the Hopewell encountered ice and nearly got stuck. On June 15 Hudson writes in has log book that the crew spotted a speckled white skinned mermaid. Later that month the Hopewell reached the islands of Novaya Zemlya, north of Russia, but again their passage was blocked by ice. While positioned off the islands, Hudson sent his crew to explore the islands and to get some animal meat and water. For the month of July, Hudson explored the waters north of Russia to get around the ice without success. In August, after a near mutiny, Hudson was forced to return home to England. Following this voyage the Muscovy Company lost confidence in him. Hudson later convinced the Dutch to sponsor him for future voyages. North Pole England

Third Voyage 1609: The New World New York The Dutch commissioned Henry to find a Northeast passage for trading, like the on second voyage. The Dutch gave him a ship called the Half Moon. It was fast and was known as a Fly Boat. After a few months of sailing, ice and fear of a mutiny forced Hudson to turn back. Instead of going home, the Half Moon headed for warmer waters and the New World. In July, they came ashore to what we now call Nova Scotia. Henry met some Native Americans and they traded. Several days later some of the crew stole from the natives. Hudson was fearful of a counter attack so he sailed south down the coast of North America to Chesapeake Bay. He couldn’t navigate the shoals of the bay so he turned around and went north. He reached the mouth of a wide river which today is known as the Hudson River. He claimed the area for the Dutch who later settled there. His voyage occurred 10 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Hudson and his crew explored the river as far north as Albany, New York. Upon returning home he was arrested for working under another countries' flag. Some historians say he was acting as a spy for England against the Dutch.

The Forth and Final Voyage 1610 After his arrest Henry Hudson was still able to find an English Company to support his next voyage. Sir Thomas Smythe wanted him to find a Northwest passage for trade. In April 1610, they left on a ship named the Discovery with only 8 months of provisions. As they were sailing they came across harsh waters known as the Hudson Strait. By the fall of 1610 they were lost and had to find a place to settle for the winter. This angered many of the crew members. By the spring of 1611, the Discovery was able to sail. Hudson wanted to continue the journey but many of his crew wanted to go home. Shortly after departure there was a mutiny lead by Robert Juet. Hudson, his son, and others that the crew disliked were put on a small boat and were never seen or heard from again. Maine

Accomplishments and Disappointments • Henry Hudson’s greatest accomplishments were his discoveries in the New World. The most well known like the Hudson River, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait were named after him. • On Hudson’s third voyage , he and his crew explored and mapped the Hudson river and the surrounding area. • On his voyages to the New World he traded with many Native Americans. • Henry Hudson’s greatest disappointment was that he never found a northern passage to China.

Bibliography Asimov, Issac. Henry Hudson Artic Explorer and North America Adventurer. United States of America and Canada: Gareth Evens, 1991. Manning, Ruth. Henry Hudson. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library, 2001. “www. biography. com/people/henry-hudson-9346049” “www. ianchadwick. com/hudson/” “www. softschools. com/timelines/henry_hudson_timeline/25/”

Glossary • • Alderman-A member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. Consultant-Is a professional who provide expert advice in a particular subject such as travel or any other specialized field. Persistent- Refusing to give up or let go. Nautical Mile-It is a unit of length that is approximately one minute of arc measured along any meridian. By international agreement it has been set at 1, 852 meters exactly or about 6, 076 feet. For comparison, a land mile is approximately 5, 280 feet. Commission- The act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty. Mutiny- Is a conspiracy among a group of individuals to openly oppose, change, or overthrow an authority to which they are subject. Counter Attack-A tactic employed in response to an attack. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack. Shoals- Is a linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles.