Overview
Europe’s Age of Enlightenment provided the backdrop for European exploration of the Pacific in the 1700s. By this time, intellectuals were eagerly pursuing the new sciences, which centred on rational inquiry into the world. They were keen to test the latest technologies, including improved navigational instruments.
Expeditions to the mysterious ‘South Seas’ were led by bold explorers, including Englishman James Cook, whose exploits would make him a hero in Europe. With them went skilled scientists and artists, charged with collecting samples and classifying and recording whatever they found. Their records were used to produce lavish publications for the curious European public, showcasing ‘natural and artificial curiosities’ from exotic lands.
The explorers were eager to be the first discoverers of new lands. Though they soon became aware that Pacific peoples had long ago settled the islands, their attitude persisted. It would set the scene for widespread colonial settlement of the region.