Voyages of James Cook

In this episode, we explore the voyages of James Cook and their lasting influence on exploration, science, and global history, focusing on his first and second Pacific expeditions in the late 18th century. Cook’s first voyage aboard HMS Endeavour combined the observation of the transit of Venus in Tahiti with the search for a southern continent, leading to the circumnavigation of New Zealand and the first European encounter with eastern Australia. His second voyage aboard HMS Resolution pushed farther south than any expedition before it, crossing the Antarctic Circle and challenging long-held ideas about Terra Australis. Along the way, we examine innovations in navigation, efforts to prevent scurvy, encounters with Indigenous peoples, and the scientific work of figures such as Joseph Banks and the Forster family, showing how Cook’s missions helped redefine geography, empire, and the practice of exploration.