Captain James Cook, a renowned British explorer, cartographer, and naval officer, was famous for his extensive voyages in the 18th century. Cook is credited with being the first recorded European to make contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. During his voyages, he sailed thousands of miles across largely uncharted regions of the globe, mapping lands from New Zealand to Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean with unprecedented detail and on a scale not previously achieved by Western explorers. Cook’s legacy of knowledge significantly influenced the world well into the 20th century. However, due to his role in British colonialism and the exploitation of indigenous peoples, his expeditions and legacy remain controversial.
If you’re interested in learning more about Captain James Cook, stop by the Great Lives lecture on Tuesday evening, February 18, to hear from author Hampton Sides. Sides’ recent book, The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook, examines Cook’s last journey aboard the HMS Resolution, delving into the “complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration.” The book is also available to view and borrow from Simpson Library.
In addition, stop by Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA) to view a contemporary account of Cook’s voyages – the story that those living in the late 18th century may have read about Cook and his expeditions. SCUA holds a 1773 edition of An account of the voyages undertaken by the order of His present Majesty for making discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and successively performed by Commodore Byron, Captain Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the Dolphin, the Swallow, and the Endeavour: drawn up from the journals which were kept by the several commanders, and from the papers of Joseph Banks, esq. As the title explains, this publication is an account of several Royal Navy voyages undertaken by Captain Cook and others. Compiled by John Hawkesworth, the books draw from the personal journals kept by the expedition leaders along with the papers of Joseph Banks, a naturalist who traveled with Cook. While the books were popular and provided an early account of the expeditions for interested readers, they were also heavily criticized even just shortly after publication.
An account of the voyages undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere was originally published in three volumes and SCUA holds a complete set. Like many of the sets in our collection, the condition of each volume varies and it is clear that they were heavily read and used. While fragile, the books are available for gentle use and viewing in the Reading Room during open hours and by appointment. For further reading, you can check out digitized versions of the set available from the Library of Congress and the Internet Archive.
