June 1611

Explorer Gazette

In 1602 the Dutch made a trading business called  Dutch East India Company.  One of their goals was to search for a Northwest passage to the Indies. The company found an experienced sailor named Henry Hudson to lead the search.  In 1609 Hudson and his crew of 20 set off from the Netherlands.  As they traveled North, the became colder and colder. He then abandoned his search for the passage.  He found a harbor and a river that flowed into it.  Thinking it might be the passage to the Indies, he sailed up the river.  When the river became shallow, he realized it was not the passage.  One year late, England hired Hudson to find the Northwest passage again off to Northern Canada.  He then discovered a 450-mile-long passageway.  When winter set in, the water froze.  In June of 1611, the weather warmed and the ice melted.  The crew thought they were sailing back to England, but later realized they were sailing west.  The crew grew angry and put Hudson, his son, and 7 other royal crewman into a small boat with no oars, and left them in the bay.  Hudson and those 8 other people froze in the ice that next winter.