Born in Marton, a village in England, on November 7, 1728, James Cook was a British explorer, navigator, and captain who “discovered,” or basically rediscovered the Hawaiian Islands in 1778 during his third voyage into the Pacific. He is best known for his trips in the Pacific Ocean and his precise mapping of it. In 1776, James Cook was a retired captain in the Royal Navy, which is the United Kingdom’s leading naval warfare force. It’s not clear when it comes to who supported James Cook on this trip, but many state that he had enough power to support himself. In 1778, he began his journey along with 182 men, in hopes of finding the Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the
…show more content…
After dropping Omai back to his home, Cook’s ships sailed onward, and on January 18, 1778, James Cook glided past the island of Oahu, becoming the first European to “discover” the Hawaiian Islands. The findings of these islands were based on pure luck, and fortunately for Cook, since he also needed more supplies for his voyage, this was a great opportunity for him to stock up. Eventually, he named the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands,” after the First Lord of Admiralty, who was the president of government department responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. His ships, Resolution and Discovery anchored off at Waimea harbour on the island of Kaua’i and were greeted by nervous Hawaiian natives who carried rocks as weapons to protect themselves from the foreign men. The rocks were later tossed into the ocean as soon as they realized that James Cook wasn’t a threat to them. There, he traded with the natives, giving them iron, weapons, and nails in exchange for water and food, such as sweet potatoes, fish, and pigs. Not only did Cook and his crew leave behind metal goods, they also infected the Hawaiians with syphilis, a venereal disease that the …show more content…
In December of 1778, after continuing to search for the Northwest Passage, James Cook realized that it was too late in the year to continue his quest and turned back to Hawaiian Islands for warmer winter quarters. After eight weeks of sailing, he docked his ships on Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawai’i on January 16th, 1779. His arrival occurred at the same time that the Makahiki, a Hawaiian harvest festival of worship for Lono, the Hawaiian god of agriculture and rain, was happening. The Hawaiians rushed to welcome him, believing that he was an incarnation of Lono and treated him and his crew with care as if they were all gods for a whole month. When one of Cook’s men died, proving that they were just mortals, it angered the Hawaiians and strained their relationship. On February 4, 1779, James Cook left Hawai’i, but was forced to return after rough winds damaged the mast of the Resolution a week later. This time, he was welcomed by the villagers with rocks being hurled at Cook and his men. Attempting to get revenge, they by stole one of Cook’s small boats. Not wanting to lose, Cook made an effort to kidnap and ransom the
After dropping Omai back to his home, Cook’s ships sailed onward, and on January 18, 1778, James Cook glided past the island of Oahu, becoming the first European to “discover” the Hawaiian Islands. The findings of these islands were based on pure luck, and fortunately for Cook, since he also needed more supplies for his voyage, this was a great opportunity for him to stock up. Eventually, he named the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands,” after the First Lord of Admiralty, who was the president of government department responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. His ships, Resolution and Discovery anchored off at Waimea harbour on the island of Kaua’i and were greeted by nervous Hawaiian natives who carried rocks as weapons to protect themselves from the foreign men. The rocks were later tossed into the ocean as soon as they realized that James Cook wasn’t a threat to them. There, he traded with the natives, giving them iron, weapons, and nails in exchange for water and food, such as sweet potatoes, fish, and pigs. Not only did Cook and his crew leave behind metal goods, they also infected the Hawaiians with syphilis, a venereal disease that the …show more content…
In December of 1778, after continuing to search for the Northwest Passage, James Cook realized that it was too late in the year to continue his quest and turned back to Hawaiian Islands for warmer winter quarters. After eight weeks of sailing, he docked his ships on Kealakekua Bay on the island of Hawai’i on January 16th, 1779. His arrival occurred at the same time that the Makahiki, a Hawaiian harvest festival of worship for Lono, the Hawaiian god of agriculture and rain, was happening. The Hawaiians rushed to welcome him, believing that he was an incarnation of Lono and treated him and his crew with care as if they were all gods for a whole month. When one of Cook’s men died, proving that they were just mortals, it angered the Hawaiians and strained their relationship. On February 4, 1779, James Cook left Hawai’i, but was forced to return after rough winds damaged the mast of the Resolution a week later. This time, he was welcomed by the villagers with rocks being hurled at Cook and his men. Attempting to get revenge, they by stole one of Cook’s small boats. Not wanting to lose, Cook made an effort to kidnap and ransom the