Explorer Henry Hudson sets sail from Amsterdam on April 4, 1609, on his voyage to North America, with a crew of 18-20, composed of Dutch and English sailors. After encountering severe ice and storms near Norway/Russia, he abandoned the search for a northeast passage and decided to search for a rumored "northwest passage" across North America.
His voyage significantly impacted North American history, enabling the Dutch to claim territory between the Delaware River and Cape Cod (New Netherland) and initiating a lucrative fur trade in the region.
Hudson's reached the Grand Banks of Newfoundland on July 2 and Nova Scotia on July 18 and went on to sail down the Atlantic coast, exploring Delaware Bay on August 28 before moving north to enter what is now New York Harbor on September 2-3.On September 12, he began sailing up the river that now bears his name, exploring it as far as present-day Albany before realizing it was not the route to the Pacific. He returned to Europe, eventually docking in Dartmouth, England, in November 1609, where his crew was detained.
