Henry Hudson and the Northwest Passage

What happened

Between 1609 and 1611 the English navigator Henry Hudson, sailing first for Dutch and then for English backers, searched for a northern sea route to Asia. He explored the great river and bay that now bear his name before his mutinous crew set him adrift to die in 1611.

Why it matters

Hudson's voyages never found the fabled Northwest Passage, but they opened the way for Dutch and English colonization of northeastern North America.

Sources

• The Mariners' Museum — Ages of Exploration. Henry Hudson · Reputable source