“Le Capne Jacque Cook,” circa 1728-1799, Painting by Bernard, The Mariners’ Museum.

James Cook

1728 CE - 1779 CE

England

Primary Goal:

To discover whether there was a large southern continent and to discover any lands for English colonization.

Achievement:

Opened up the Pacific for colonization and further exploration, created very accurate maps of the Pacific, made contact with many previously unknown Pacific peoples, and supervised the collection of new specimens of plants and animals from the Pacific.