What was the third voyage of James Cook?

James Cook's third and final voyage from 1776 to 1780 was a British Royal Navy expedition intended to discover the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Aboard the ships HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, Cook explored the North Pacific and encountered the Hawaiian Islands before being killed there in 1779. Command passed to Charles Clerke and later John Gore, returning the expedition to London in 1780 without finding the passage.

What we know

• The third voyage of James Cook lasted from 12 July 1776 to 4 October 1780. [1, 2]
• The primary, though officially concealed, purpose of the expedition was to discover the Northwest Passage. [2]
• James Cook was killed in a violent dispute with local inhabitants at Hawaii on 14 February 1779. [2]
• After Cook's death, command of the expedition was assumed by Charles Clerke and subsequently John Gore. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Omai?
• what caused itWhat caused the fatal fight in Hawaii?
• whereWhere is the Northwest Passage?
• compared withHow did the second voyage differ?
• a case in pointWhat ships were used on the expedition?
• an unexpected connectionHow did returning a traveler become a cover story?The ostensible humanitarian mission to return a young man named Omai to Raiatea was used by the British Admiralty as a cover plan for finding the Northwest Passage.

Sources

• [1]third voyage of James Cook (Wikidata Q2750283) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Third voyage of James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Voyage of James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]First voyage of James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Second voyage of James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0