Transcript By: Aileen Peddie Teacher: Mrs. Lombardi Early Life Not much was known about Henry Hudson’s early life.

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.
Family
Like Henry’s early life not much is know about his family.
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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.
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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 seahorses, 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.
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.
Third Voyage 1609: The New World
The Dutch commissioned Henry to find a Northeast
passage for trading, like the one 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.
Accomplishments and Disappointments
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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.
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On Hudson’s third voyage , he and his
crew explored and mapped the
Hudson river and the surrounding
area.
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On his voyages to the New World he
traded with many Native Americans.
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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
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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.