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

The Third Voyage

In the summer of 1776, James Cook was brought out of retirement to conduct a third and last circumnavigation of the globe. The goal was to prove or disprove the possibility of a long-sought Northwest Passage across the frigid Arctic seas atop North America. Before the voyage was over, Cook had solved the riddle of the passage, rediscovered the Hawaiian archipelago, and provided the first detailed charts of the Pacific Northwestern coastline before meeting his controversial end in Kealakekua Bay.

Additional Sessions of the Captain Cook and the Pacific Series

• March 18: The Polynesian Dispersal
• March 25: Cook's First Voyage
• April 1: The Second Voyage
• April 15: Mutiny on the Bounty

General Information

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