Henry Hudson's Explorations

Henry Hudson was an educated English explorer and navigator believed to be born “in 1570, in Hoddersdon, Hertfordshire, northwest of London” (Quezzaire). Hudson probably served in the Muscovy Company when he was young due to his family’s high prestige in the Muscovy Company. In the late 1500s, he got married to a woman called Katherine, and together, they had three sons: Oliver, Richard and John (softschools.com). It is believed that he had firsthand education about seafaring, and worked aboard other ships, probably as a cabin boy, before becoming a commander of his own ship in 1607 (biography.com). Hudson made four voyages during his career seeking a Northwest Passage to Asia. That passage would provide “a shorter route to the riches of the Orient, especially the source of the lucrative spice trade” (Chadwick), and thus many were competing to find it. Without Hudson’s efforts, the Dutch and the English would not have been as strong as they are today.
In 1607, Hudson was sent on an expedition by the Muscovy Company, and then again in 1608. In the two voyages, he looked for a passage to Asia through the North Pole. As he and his crew moved further north, they had to battle icy conditions, and thus they were forced to turn back …show more content…
First, he helped establish an English whaling industry which brought huge profits to the English. Secondly, his reports of the richness of the land around the Hudson River led to numerous Dutch settlements of the area and assisted them establish trading posts along the nearby coasts. Thirdly, he unlocked many parts of western Canada and the Arctic which helped the Hudson Bay Company increase its trade and influence in North America. Hudson’s impact extends to the entire world and not only the English and the Dutch. This can be seen in the many places he discovered, and that were named after him such as Hudson River, Hudson Bay and Hudson