NEWAMS HISTORY LESSON:

Exploration of the Hudson River: The river is named after Henry Hudson, an Englishman who sailed for the dutch east India company and explored the river in 1609. the dutch called it the north river and it formed the spine of the dutch colony of New Netherlands  settlement. the colony clustered around the hudson, and it was strategically important because it served as the gateway to the american interior which led to years of competition between the english and the dutch over control of the river and the colony.