Henry Hudson was a very brave and courageous person. He sailed in the Arctic Ocean and far east. He was given a ship called the Half Moon. He and his crew tried to seek a northwest passage through North America. After sailing in the Arctic Ocean, the Half Moon sailed briefly through the Delaware and Chesapeake bays.

Henry Hudson was born on September 12, 1570. He was born in England. He became a cabin boy at the age of 16, then worked his way to captain. In 1607, the Moscovy Company of England hired Hudson to find a North West Passage. Henry Hudson still thought a short cut existed by heading north, even though no one had found it yet. He pushed his ideas and then the Moscovy Company sponsored a voyage of exploration for him. His plan was to reach the other side of the world by going over the North Pole. No one had dared to do that yet.

On April 19, 1607 Captain Henry Hudson and his crew left on his ship. For the first half of the month, the weather was fine, however, when the ship got to the shore of Greenland the weather wasn’t the same. He failed in that attempt, and again in 1608 -- each time troubled by ice as he attempted to find a fast northerly passage to "the east."

Hudson was then chosen by the Dutch East Company to find an easterly passage to Asia. He was given a ship by the name of the Half Moon. He was told to sail around the Arctic Ocean of North Russia and far east. He heard rumors that there was a Northwest passage through North America. The Half Moon sailed briefly through the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. But these water ways didn’t lead to the Pacific so they sailed north to the mouth of the river which now bears his name. Along the way Hudson traded with Native Americans.

In 1610 Hudson managed to get another backing for a voyage under the English Flag on a boat named the Discovery. On June 25, they reached the Hudson Strait. But in November the ship became stuck in ice glaciers and everyone went on shore for winter. When the ice cleared in the spring of 1611, Hudson wanted to explore some more, but the crew did not. In June the crew sent Hudson and his teenage son and seven loyal grew members in a small boat. They had no food or water and they were never seen again.