Henry Hudson, Explorer That Discovered Manhattan Island, NYC

On a day like today. September 11, 1609

Henry Hudson

Engraving of Henry Hudson. Artdaily.

September 11, 1609.

Henry Hudson (c. the 1560s/70s — 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century.

In 1609, he landed in North America on behalf of the Dutch East India Company and explored the region around the modern New York metropolitan area.

He was looking for a Northwest Passage to Asia on his ship Halve Maen “Half Moon”.

He sailed up the Hudson River, which was later named after him, and thereby laid the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region.

Half Moon was a Dutch East India Company that sailed into what is now New York Harbor in September 1609.

Replica of the Halve Maen / Half Moon.

Scan from a book “Henry Hudson’s Reize onder Nederlandse vlag 1609” by S.P. L’Honoré Naber.

In 1909 a replica of Halve Maen was given to the United States by the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Hudson’s voyage.