Found 2 blog entries tagged as henry hudson.

Born in 1565 and the grandson to the founder of the Muscovy Company, Henry Hudson became famous for discovering Staten Island. From a very young age, Henry Hudson studied navigation, mathematics and seamanship. Like da Verazzano, Hudson was funded money to make voyages to discover a passage to Japan and China.

The Discovery

The Dutch East India Company provided Hudson with a ship, The Half Moon, to carry him and his small crew on their voyage. The original plan was to sail towards Russia. However, due to freezing weather and ice blockage, Hudson refused orders to return to Amsterdam. He decided to change route and travel west, leading him towards the New World. There was no other European before Hudson that decided to travel as far west and north…

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Giovanni da Verrazano was born in Greve in Chianti, Italy.  In the early 1500s, Verrazano gained an interest in the navy's mission and tactics; he began sailing as a pirate and became determined to find a passage to the Orient.  Verrazano took part of France's Francis I's naval service. 

The Voyage

In the 1520s, Verrazano prepared his ship, Delfina which is named after the King's firstborn daughter, to partake with three other ships on an eight month voyage to discover a quicker route to the Orient. Only La Dauphine had surpassed the voyage, managing to have enough supplies and avoid becoming shipwrecked. Cape Fear, North Carolina was the first sight of land Verrazano came across; but Verrazano continued traveling north of the coast. 

In the…

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