How did James Cook become an explorer?

Answer 1

James Cook was the son of a farm labourer. He didn't have much of an ambition, so he was apprenticed to a haberdasher/grocer at the age of 16. He didn't show much promise here, either, having little aptitude for the trade, so his employer introduced him to local shipowners, who took him on as a merchant navy apprentice. Here he was educated in algebra, trigonometry, navigation, and astronomy, which later set Cook up to command his own ship.

After working his way up to positions of greater responsibility and experience, Cook was hired in 1766 by the Royal Society to travel to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus across the Sun. After this, the young Lieutenant Cook was sent to part of the British Merchant Marine and later the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. It was these experiences that led to him becoming a captain.

Answer 2

James Cook was the son of a farm labourer, and held no great ambitions, being apprenticed in a grocer/haberdashery when he was 16. Lack of aptitude in the trade led his employer to introduce Cook to local shipowners, who took him on as a merchant navy apprentice. Here he was educated in algebra, trigonometry, navigation, and astronomy, which later set Cook up to command his own ship.

Answer 3

James Cook did not become a cook. He was an important ship's captain whose exploration contributed significantly to the knowledge of islands and continents. It just happens that his last name was "Cook" in same way that most people with the name "Smith" are not actually blacksmiths.

Answer 4

He was assigned by the Admiralty for this assignment, which was the common way that naval officers were assigned to specific commands in the Royal Navy. The Admiralty had selected Cook for this assignment because of his background in mathematics and cartography.

His primary assignment was to reach Tahiti to observe the Transit of Venus in 1769, and then to explore the "unknown southern land" which was later named Australia.

Answer 5

James Cook became captain in 1775, at age 47, and barely four years before he died.

Answer 6

He helped other explorers