Historedia
AmericasEvent

Henry Hudson's 1609 Exploration of the North American East Coast

When
1609
Where
Port of departure; East of Norway's North Cape; Estuary outlet of the Delaware River; River flowing through eastern New York state
Episodes
4

In 1609, English navigator Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, departed Amsterdam aboard the Halve Maen. After failing to find a Northeast Passage due to ice, he explored the North American coast, claiming Delaware Bay and ascending the Hudson River.

Episodes

  1. 1609 · Estuary outlet of the Delaware RiverClaiming Delaware Bay

    Hudson claimed Delaware Bay for the Dutch East India Company during his coastal exploration.

  2. 1609 · River flowing through eastern New York stateAscent of the Hudson River

    Hudson entered the bay of the river he named the Mauritius River and sailed up to present-day Albany.

  3. 4 April 1609 · Port of departureDeparture from Amsterdam

    Hudson departed Amsterdam in April 1609 aboard the Halve Maen to seek a passage to Asia.

  4. May 1609 · East of Norway's North CapeIce Blockade and Turnaround

    Ice blocked the northern route, forcing Hudson to turn the ship around in mid-May.

Background and detail

Background. Henry Hudson, an experienced English mariner, had previously attempted to find a Northeast Passage for English merchants in 1607 and 1608. In 1609, he secured backing from the Dutch East India Company to find an easterly route to Asia, commanding the jacht Halve Maen.

The 1609 Voyage. Hudson departed Amsterdam in April 1609. Ice blocked the intended northern route, forcing him to turn back. He then sailed westward across the Atlantic, eventually reaching the North American coast where he explored the Delaware Bay and the Hudson River.

Coastal Exploration. Navigating south along the coast, Hudson reached the Delaware Bay, which he claimed for the Dutch East India Company. He continued past Manhattan and Long Island, entering the bay of the river he named the Mauritius River, later known as the Hudson River.

People involved

Sources

  1. Henry Hudson Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13
  2. Delaware Bay Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-25
  3. Hudson River Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
  4. Halve Maen Wikipedia, revision of 2026-04-06

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.