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James Cook Research Paper

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Arguable the greatest navigator of his time, James Cook, a very successful naval commander, navigator, and explorer. Born on 27 October 1728 at Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England, and the son of a Scottish labourer and his Yorkshire wife. He grew up on a farm at Great Ayton, attending the village school. At the age of 18, he was offered an apprenticeship by a Quaker ship owner in a small seaside village near Whitby, England. James Cook later went onto join the British Navy and, at age 29, was promoted to ship's master. Cook’s career consisted of three main expedition that he had completed before his death in 1779, each voyage taking multiple years to complete. Changing and advancing the mapping of the world in each trip, James Cook has …show more content…

James Cook has influenced history tremendously by the successful voyages, expeditions, mapping, charting, and new discoveries that he found. Sadly, James Cook died on February 14, 1779, in Hawaii.
At the age of 18, James Cook was an apprenticeship by a Quaker ship owner in Whitby, England. This experience gave Cook a promising future with ships and that exactly what he did. While also excelling in mathematics and navigation James Cook had a bright future ahead of him. At age 29, Cook joined the British Navy and was promoted to ship’s master shortly after. During the Seven Years War (1756-63), Cook commanded a captured hip for the Royal Navy. As Cook excelled in his military role, he also excelled in his scientific voyages. James’s first scientific expedition in the pacific was 1768-1771 where Cook first Visited Tahiti to observe the planet Venus as it passed in front of the moon. When Venus would directly cross between the sun and the earth. This phenomenon occurs twice, eight years apart in a pattern that repeats every 243 years. However, Cook was not able to see …show more content…

In 1773, he charted and mapped the area past the Antarctic Circle from Africa to New Zealand. Cook found no evidence of existence of terra Australis, the fabled southern continent, to be false. Also, discovering a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, naming the islands Cooks Island. Cook then, pushed his expedition even farther too explored New Caledonia and also discovered Sandwich Archipelago. When returning home, Cook was showered with awards and honor, even appointed into the royal society. King George III came to honor James Cook and also promoted him to a Captain with an option for early

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