Discuss the search for the northwest passage. explain why they were looking for it and why that exploration was important.

The Age of Colonialism and Discovery resulted in the exploration of the Americas. Originally it was rooted in a search for a quicker trade route to Asia, and even though they discovered the American landmasses many European countries still seeked to find a quicker trade route to Asia that went through North America. This became known as the Northwest Passage, and many explorers tried in vain to find it with no luck. One famous example involves Henry Hudson trekking through Canada with his men to find the Northwest Passage. They did not find it and Hudson's crew desired to return back home and give up the search. Hudson wanted to continue finding it, and his crew turned against him and left him in a lifeboat in the middle of what became known as Hudson Bay.