Overview
Englishman James Cook worked first on coal ships in the North Sea. Later he joined the Royal Navy, and quickly rose up through the ranks. In 1768, he was asked to command a long voyage to the Pacific, as a lieutenant.
Officially, the voyage was to make new astronomical observations. But it also had a secret mission – to find out more about lands in the Southern Hemisphere.
Cook’s work impressed his superiors. In 1772, he took command of a second Pacific voyage. In 1776, he set off on a third, where he met his death. Today his achievements inspire both admiration and debate.
Voyage of non-discovery?
It’s been said that James Cook’s greatest ‘discoveries’ were of what did not exist. On one voyage, he was asked to find a shipping passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, he showed that there wasn’t one. On other voyages, he proved that there was no ‘Great Southern Continent’.
Almost every island in the Pacific that Cook came across had been seen already by Europeans. However, the knowledge that he and the members of his expedition gathered about the Pacific was extensive. It has influenced European science, art, and literature for over two centuries.
Even now, Captain Cook is one of the most written-about figures in history.