In the early 1600s, British mariner Henry Hudson went on four voyages of exploration – all to find a new route to the fabled lands of the Far East. The first two were in search of a route to the north and east – the Northeast Passage. The other voyages were to North America, where Hudson would conduct some of the most far-reaching expeditions in the history of the continent.
Episodes
Henry Hudson – Part 1 – the Northeast Passage
In part one of our story, Hudson goes searching for a new route to Asia. His first attempt it to go north – to the North Pole and over the top of the world. When that doesn’t work, he heads east – over Russia and towards Novaya Zemlya.
Download this episode or listen online.
Henry Hudson – Part 2 – the Voyage of the Half Moon
In this episode, Henry Hudson accepts a job with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to find a route to Asia over Russia – aka the Northeast Passage. Thwarted, he heads west – to the New World – and he proceeds to be the first European to map the area around New York and the Hudson River.
Download this episode or listen online.
Henry Hudson – Part 3 – the Northwest Passage
In the final episode of the Henry Hudson saga, Hudson goes looking for the Northwest Passage – and discovers Hudson Bay in the process. However, the disgruntled crew – eager to abandon the search – will mutiny – making the ending of Hudson – and six others – a mystery that has never been solved.
Download this episode or listen online.
Maps
First two voyages of Henry Hudson. Map Source: Wikipedia. Map has been cropped to show area relevant to this podcast. Routes of Henry Hudson’s first two voyages are included. Key locations are identified as well.
The 3rd and 4th voyages of Henry Hudson. Image source information.
Resources
Henry Hudson: New World Voyager, by Edward Butts. Nice biography of Hudson covering his entire life.
Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage That Redrew the Map of the New World, by Douglas Hunter. Great look at Hudson’s third voyage.
God’s Mercies: Rivalry, Betrayal, and the Dream of Discovery, by Douglas Hunter. Focuses on the rivalry between Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson.
Henry Hudson, by Llewelyn Powys, 1928. Dated, but still well done bio of Hudson.
Juet’s Journal of Hudson’s 1609 Voyage, by Robert Juet. Original entries from Robert Juet’s journal about the Half Moon Expedition. Not the easiest read.
Henry Hudson Wikipedia page.
Henry Hudson image: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=461792
Images
Source: By John Collier – [1]l, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=587837
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