The three voyages of maritime exploration undertaken by Captain James Cook from 1768 to 1779 were filled with high drama, tragedy, intrigue, and humor, and their stories have been retold for centuries. Justin M. Jacobs, professor of history at American University, investigates their enduring appeal by pairing the latest scholarly insights with extensive visual resources focusing on the people, places, and events of the voyages.

Jacobs places Cook and his world in historical context, highlights his substantive connections with the Polynesian world, examines his search for the “Great Southern Continent” and Northwest Passage, and analyzes social and political relationships both on board the ships and with the people of the many shores that were visited.

Session Information

Cook’s First Voyage

In 1768, an unknown British lieutenant named James Cook set off on a daunting maritime expedition around the world. By the time it was over, Cook had observed the transit of Venus in newly rediscovered Tahiti, charted the coastlines of New Zealand, re-established contact with isolated Polynesian societies, and survived a near shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast of Australia. Jacobs revisits one of the most famous maritime voyages in history to place the events of Cook’s first expedition in proper historical perspective.

Additional Sessions of the Captain Cook and the Pacific Series

• March 18: The Polynesian Dispersal
• April 1: The Second Voyage
• April 8: The Third Voyage
• April 15: Mutiny on the Bounty

General Information

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