By Phin Upham
Henry Hudson was an epic explorer, if ever such a term could be crowned, who braved the Arctic region around Canada and the North Western United States searching for the fabled Northwest Passage. During that time, he made several important discoveries that he profited greatly from.
One of the most significant discoveries was the Hudson Bay area, which was twice the size of the Baltic Sea. This important passage gave the Hudson Bay Company access to every ship passing through the Atlantic looking for the Northwest Passage, and trade in the area prospered.
This discovery can be felt in modern day, as the shape of commerce was directly impacted by the discovery of Henry Hudson. That discovery shaped the Western North American boundaries into the present day.
He also discovered the Hudson Strait and the Hudson River, the latter being the source of many important landmarks in New York and New Jersey. New York’s town of Hudson, and the Henry Hudson Parkway both derive their namesake from him.
Unfortunately, his exploits drove him too far for his crew to keep up with. During an expedition to uncover more of Hudson Bay, the crew of the Discovery banded together to mutiny against Hudson and his teen-aged sons. The last anyone saw of Henry Hudson, he was paddling desperately in an attempt to catch to his mutinous crew members.
That image was endearing to more than a few fiction writers, and Hudson’s marooned crew shows up in a few novels. Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,” for instance, features them as mythic characters.
About the Author: Phin Uphamis an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Twitter page.