Samuel Hearne was a British explorer and fur trader who made a significant contribution to the exploration of Canada’s northern regions. He was born in London, England in 1745 and was the son of a naval officer. Hearne was educated at the Royal Naval Academy and was commissioned as a midshipman in the Royal Navy in 1760. He served in the Seven Years’ War and was present at the Battle of Quebec in 1759.
In 1766, Hearne was appointed as a clerk in the Hudson’s Bay Company and was sent to Fort Prince of Wales in Hudson Bay. He was tasked with exploring the region and finding a route to the copper mines of the Coppermine River. Hearne set out on his first expedition in 1769 and traveled overland from Fort Prince of Wales to the mouth of the Coppermine River. He was the first European to reach the Arctic Ocean by land.
Hearne’s second expedition was in 1771 and he was tasked with finding a route to the western end of the Great Slave Lake. He traveled overland from Fort Prince of Wales to the Great Slave Lake and then followed the river to the Arctic Ocean. He was the first European to reach the Arctic Ocean by land from the east.
Hearne’s third expedition was in 1772 and he was tasked with finding a route to the mouth of the Mackenzie River. He traveled overland from Fort Prince of Wales to the Great Slave Lake and then followed the river to the Arctic Ocean. He was the first European to reach the Arctic Ocean by land from the west.
Hearne’s fourth expedition was in 1774 and he was tasked with finding a route to the mouth of the Coppermine River. He traveled overland from Fort Prince of Wales to the Great Slave Lake and then followed the river to the Arctic Ocean. He was the first European to reach the Arctic Ocean by land from the south.
Hearne’s fifth and final expedition was in 1776 and he was tasked with finding a route to the mouth of the Coppermine River. He traveled overland from Fort Prince of Wales to the Great Slave Lake and then followed the river to the Arctic Ocean. He was the first European to reach the Arctic Ocean by land from the north.
Hearne’s explorations opened up the northern regions of Canada to fur trading and exploration. He was also the first European to describe the Arctic Ocean and its inhabitants. Hearne’s explorations were documented in his book A Journey from Prince of Wales’s Fort in Hudson’s Bay to the Northern Ocean (1795).
Hearne’s explorations and writings were highly influential in the development of the fur trade in Canada. He was also an important figure in the development of the Royal Navy’s Arctic exploration program. Hearne died in 1792 and is remembered as one of the most important explorers of Canada’s northern regions.