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Henry Hudson: The Savior of 1609?
By Richard Scott
In his introduction to Henry Hudson: His Times and Voyages, Edgar Bacon writes (1909), “To understand a man’s motives, to measure his work, or to form a just estimate of his character, it is necessary to know something of the age in which he lived and the influences and conditions that directed or motivated his thought.” This is an appropriate quote when examining the life of Henry Hudson, a man about whom little is known today. No physical portrait of him exists. This ignorance of his appearance reflects a disconnect with the past and illustrates what little information historians have about his life [1] . But why was there such a fascination with this man in 1909, and why was he regarded as such a heroic figure?
The information that we do have about Hudson is severely limited. However, historians have been able to preserve fragments of first-hand sources such as Hudson’s personal travel logs and Robert Juet's journals. What does exist is dated between roughly April 19, 1607 and June 22, 1611, which surround his four voyages [2] . Though we do not know his exact date and birth, we do know that he was a citizen of London and probably born in that city or in its vicinity. We know that he had a wife and children from a contract that he signed with the Dutch East India Company. It is also believed that he belonged to a prominent family and stood in high favor with the Muscovy Company [3] . Though we do not know much about Hudson’s personal life, what we are certain about is that he was born at a time when England was undergoing a dramatic shift from an agrarian society to a maritime power [4] .
The Year 1609
In order to comprehend the conditions under which Hudson traveled, it is necessary to look at the historical context. The middle year of that span, 1609, was a crucial time in history, which makes Hudson’s role during this period even more significant. The famous opening lines in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” are applicable here. Despite coming from a work of fiction, they are quite accurate in depicting the social atmosphere and political situation at this time.
1609 was a time of peace, commerce, instability, ideological shifts, and a rise of new interests. For instance, among other events, there was a truce between Catholic powers and Protestant Netherlands; the Duke of Muscovy assumed the title of Tzar in Russia; the Hanseatic League dominated trade in Germany; the Holy Roman Empire was trembling; and Holland had fought for and won recognition in Europe as Amsterdam became a major port city. There was also a rise in merchant activity, spirit of adventure, and a thirst for discovery, all of which culminated in the voyages of Hudson [5]
Hudson’s Four Voyages
Hudson is best known for his famous four voyages, yet only the third is truly applicable to 1909. Coincidentally, this happens to have occurred in the tercentennial of that important turning point in history: 1609. On the first of those voyages, he set sail as captain of the Hopewell on July 23, 1607, in an effort to find a Northern trade route to the Orient [6] . He ended up hundreds of miles off course and in doing so, he set a record that stood for one hundred seventy years by sailing the farthest north of any traveler thus far [7] .
On his next voyage, June 15, 1608, Hudson, under the employment of the Muscovy Company, set sail looking for a Northwest Passage through the Arctic. This time, the ship was strengthened with extra planks so that it could traverse icy conditions [8] . The crew is believed to have spotted a mermaid, which was symbolic of the mysteries of the depths of the sea and man’s conquering of the natural world [9] . The voyage failed, and consequently the Muscovy Company lost confidence in his abilities. Therefore, Hudson looked for new opportunities for employment [10] .
The third voyage is the one which is most relevant to 1909 and is worth revisiting in depth. Because England lost confidence in his ability, Hudson was now in service of the Dutch, England’s major trading rival. He once again searched for a Northwest Passage and set sail in the Half Moon on April 6th.
The ship became emblematic of global expansionism and a new spirit of adventure. Three hundred years later, to mark the anniversary of this voyage and the feats of Hudson, a forty thousand dollar, fifty-eight and a half foot replica of the Half Moon was built. It generated much popular interest during the early 20th century. Preparations for this ornate project began on the American side of the ocean, yet were dismissed when it was discovered that Holland would contribute it to the celebration. This was a tough project to undertake because no pictures of a model existed. However, a journal of Hudson’s voyage gave some data. Other information was derived from the sister ship, the Hope, which was built by the Dutch East India Company [11] . 
The ship launched on April 15, 1909, and arrived via steamship on July 22nd. A few days before the celebration, a warship, Utrecht, arrived and supplied a crew of 20 men in costume to reenact the moment [12] .
During the voyage three centuries earlier, for reasons unclear, Hudson disobeyed orders and went to warmer climates to explore the Northeastern Coast of the New World. He settled around Manhattan Island in what is the first record of English discovery of New York State, and discovered his namesake river [13] . To describe this magnificent river, Hall writes in 1909:
The river is also remarkable for its great natural beauty.
The distinguished German surgeon Dr. Adolf Lorenz, while visiting on its shores in 1902, pronounced it more beautiful than the Rhine. This beauty, so famous throughout the world, is due to very ancient causes ; and the person who will search beyond the surface appearances for those causes will truly find, as Shakespeare says, " sermons in stones and books in the running brook. [14]
The river became a huge part of the character of New York and served as a reminder of the city’s Dutch roots. Thus, Hudson’s discovery of this natural phenomenon was commemorated in a grand celebration in 1909, both because of its significance and because it was beautiful and attracted people to the celebration.
On his fourth voyage, despite being convicted of treason upon his return to England for sailing under another nation’s flag, Hudson received backing from the English as he again sought to find a Northwest Passage. On this voyage more than the others, there was much mutiny and quarrelling over food, which may have been a result of the previous failed voyages and the loss of confidence in Hudson’s leadership. Also, the crew sailed under difficult conditions as they traversed Arctic waters north of Quebec and into Hudson Bay. They also sighted Greenland during the voyage, but it was covered by ice [15] . 
Critical Reception in 1909
Those who commemorated Hudson’s feats in 1909 generally saw him as a “Christ-like figure” or a “hero”. As Hall writes:
The discovery of the Hudson River and the successful application of steam to navigation were local events only in a narrow sense of the term. In effect they were of state-wide, national, and even international significance. One brought to the knowledge of Europe and opened up to civilization the great river to which, more than any other single natural factor, is due the greatness of New York as the Empire State and New York City as the Metropolis of the New World.”
Around the turn of the century, Hudson was portrayed as a savior, hence the ornate celebration. There was much sentiment about his discovery as an act of God and something that was fated to happen since his third voyage, which was way off course, by some means led to the discovery of his namesake river and ultimately of the state of New York.
In what can be interpreted as a presention of a more modern and less romanticized interpretation of his voyage, one of Hudson’s mates, Robert Juet, kept a journal during the voyage and noted the crew’s disdain for Native Americans. Though the encounters were sometimes friendly with the natives, Juet discussed accounts of conflict with the natives, looting, drunkenness, and even murder [16] . This is significant because it illuminates past encounters with the natives and foreshadows a future of failed diplomacy with tribes.
Juet’s journal places Hudson and the rest of the crew in a more villainous light that questions their true motives for travel. Like another popular explorer, Christopher Columbus, Hudson has a more tarnished name today than he did a century ago. For instance, this potential imperialistic impulse that Juet suggests parallels the ideology of Christopher Columbus, whose use of Christianity as justification for conquering the land of innocent natives and establishing economic control may have seemed legitimate within the given social context from the perspective of the Europeans, yet is absurd to fathom today in a post-colonial society.
Yet, no matter how one chooses to view Hudson -- as a person-savior or villain -- his third voyage still holds much importance today. It represented the remarkable triumph of man over the depths of Poseidon; the spirit of travel and adventure; and the ingenuity of mankind.
Endnotes
[1] Bacon, Edgar M. Henry Hudson: His Times and His Voyages, The Knickerbocker Press, 1907, p.47
[2] Janvier, Thomas A. Henry Hudson. Harper & Brothers, 1909, p.8
[3] Hall, Edward Hagaman. Hudson and Fulton: A Brief History of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton with Suggestions Designed to Aide the Holding of General Commemorative Exercises and Children’s Festivals during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909. New York: The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission, 1909, p. 19-20
[4] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
[5] Bacon, Edgar M. Henry Hudson: His Times and His Voyages, The Knickerbocker Press, 1907, p.85-86
[6] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
[7] Janvier, Thomas A. Henry Hudson. Harper & Brothers, 1909, p.20
[8] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
[9] Janvier, Thomas A. Henry Hudson. Harper & Brothers, 1909, p.21
[10] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
[11] Hall, Edward Hagaman. The Fourth Annual Report of the Hudson- Fulton Celebration Commission to the Legislature of the State of New York. Albany: JB Lyon Company, 1910, p.94-95
[12] Hall, Edward Hagaman. The Fourth Annual Report of the Hudson- Fulton Celebration Commission to the Legislature of the State of New York. Albany: JB Lyon Company, 1910, p.97
[13] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
[14] Hall, Edward Hagaman. Hudson and Fulton: A Brief History of Henry Hudson and Robert Fulton with Suggestions Designed to Aide the Holding of General Commemorative Exercises and Children’s Festivals during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909. New York: The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission, 1909, p. 33
[15] Janvier, Thomas A. Henry Hudson. Harper & Brothers, 1909, p.25
[16] Chadwick, Ian. "http://www.ianchadwick.com/hudson/hudson_06.htm."
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