James Cook - Part 1 - Early years, war and surveyor
The Explorers Podcast
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The Life and Times of James Banks
Joseph Banks was a 25-year-old nobleman who became obsessed with botany and the natural sciences as a teen. He would make a name for himself by participating in a natural science expedition to Canada in 1766, later publishing the first Linnean descriptions of Newfoundland and Labrador. After some debate he was given a promotion to First Lieutenant in his Majesty's Navy. Cook was ordered to head to Depford, a London suburb along the Thames River, and take command of the HMS Endeavour.
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