The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook: Crash Course World History #27

In which John Green teaches you about the life and death of one of history's great explorers, Captain James Cook of the British Navy. He charted large swaths of the Pacific ocean, laid claim to Australia and New Zealand, and died a bizarre death in the Sandwich Islands, which are now called the Hawaiian Islands. Exactly how and why Captain Cook was killed in Hawaii is a long-running historical debate. John presents two interpretations of the event and talks about what the differing interpretations say about history. It turns out how the story is told depends on who is doing the storytelling, and people from different backgrounds can interpret events in very different ways. Also, there is a celebration and a mustache involved in this episode, so you definitely don't want to miss it.

Chapters:
Introduction 00:00
Captain James Cook 0:33
An Open Letter to "The White Man's Burden" 2:44
Captain Cook's Controversial Death 3:40
Interpretations of Captain Cook's Death: Makahiki 4:19
Issues with the Ritual Death Story 5:19
How Cook Actually (Probably) Died 6:34
Why Did Cook's Ritual Death Myth Persist? 8:03
Credits 10:00

Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?

[Sarahblairkelly]

New Zealand! You mentioned us!

This is the most famous we've ever been.

[Funma]

I, as a Tongan/New Zealander, would LOVE to hear the history of the Pacific Nations ( Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian history). Pretty please John??

[Zaghloulyt]

"Until the Story of the hunt is told by the Lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." – African Proverb

[dorkmax]

You  have yet to talk about Antarctica. Checkmate, crash course.

[MsFigmenter]

As someone who has lived most of their life in Hawaii I can't describe how awesome it is to hear John tell this story. This is a story I've heard in school, at home, everywhere basically, so it feels so wonderful to hear such a familiar story from a person like John Green.

[rubikfan]

tumb up if your doing a marathon of all episodes

[howarthe]

"Is our inability to escape our biases a good excuse for not even trying?"  No, we must never give up.  We must acknowledge our biases whenever we find them and keep trying to see the story from the other point of view.  By studying who we were, history can help us better understand who we are.  Studying who they were can also help us better understand who they are.

[stuckupcurlyguy]

Not just being "PC" here, I think a video about Australian Aborigines would be fascinating. There is definitely enough historical information about Aboriginal culture to fill up an 8 minute video (half of John's videos are filler anyway) because Australian and Aboriginal cultures coexisted for a hundred years or so, and there is a plethora of oral tradition which is being proven right by archaeological excavations (for example, there are accurate drawings of megafauna which have been found dating to something like 30kya).

Aboriginal land management practices have also recently been examined as a sort of midway point between agriculture and nomadism, as they used fire to change entire landscapes while maintaining ecological balance. It really changes the traditional idea of pre-agricultural humans as just hands-off wanderers and fractures the whole dichotomy of "civilised" and "uncivilised" itself.

[MarioFan]

No, you did NOT become an official world history class this episode! YOU CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANTARCTICA.

[azarial]

Yayyy!!!
You mentioned Australia and New Zealand!
You have satisfied our respective nations' self-worth. It was the pick-me-up that we all needed today so thank you sir.

[justinw]

Would be cool if there was a Crash Course on Australian Aboriginals.

[MikeAetherial]

Hold the phone... You're the same John Green who wrote "The Fault in Our Stars" and you're also doing this?!  You sir have escalated up the respect ladder.

[illbebackinfive]

really appreciate how you guys have begun incorporating open-ended questions at the end of each video. it aids in the further thinking, incites curiosity and displays the rationality of crash course's team of writers and producers. bravo!

[lligator]

"We finally noticed you Australia!"
[me, sipping a room temperature beer in my underwear]
hey yeah. cheers

[genericfirstname]

The reason that I enjoy Crash Course History is that you present the information, the questions left unanswered and provide multiple interpretations. This gives me the impression that you attempt to at least provide an educational series without an agenda. I thank you for this and as long as these videos are online I know myself and others will refer back to them to educate ourselves on history.

[Jasegtown]

Although Captain Cook ventured into the Pacific for the first time in 1768, I think it should be mentioned that the Polynesian people (made up of the pacific Islanders, Hawaiians, Easter Islanders and Maori (NZ natives) should have a mention or even have its own crash course as its own history is fascinating. Polynesian people are known to have ventured into the pacific realm before Christ (BC) - descending from Asia and eventually arriving at South America (and some say North America of the Coast of California) using only star navigation. New Zealand itself was occupied by the Polynesian Islanders approximately around 300-1200AD (this point is being argued but it is around this time). It would be awesome if Crash Course would delve into this untapped topic as there is not much mention or recognition for this culture globally.

[aleksandriakirkland]

*Gets excited when John mentions New Zealand*
*cries when he continues to just say Australia*

CCWH should have a special on NZ history, it's the most unique of the colonies since the British didn't treat the Maori anywhere as horribly as they treated the aboriginals and native Americans, and pretty much the only time a large majority of Maori died by the hands of the British was during the NZ civil war between the British and the Maori

[Petrichore]

I really appreciate the fact that you cover different views and interpretations of historic events. Thank you for helping me to broaden my perspective.

[Lucy-ngcw]

Captain cook chased a chook all around Australia, he lost his pants in the middle of France and found them in Tasmania!

[belisarius]

+ Aviel Geronimo, in Hawai'i they definitely don't teach that. They teach that Cook died during an attempt to get back a stolen life boat (and the fracas that resulted in a scuffle along the black beach in Kealakekua Bay), and he was killed in Kealakekua (where a memorial today still stands---possibly not on the exact spot), he was stripped of flesh common ancient Hawaiian practice (also documented on other native chieftains) because it enables them to "gain the mana" of that chief, and or that's it's a common practice of respect among high noble blood. They then hide the bones after cleaning it. That's actually a sign of respect. Despite the shit bag ways of many Europeans navigators and colonizers (who often pay hospitality of the natives with violence) in the Pacific, eg Magellan, these so called "savages" actually have a lot respect. I grew up on the Big Island and been to Kealakekua (which a town uphill is named after Captain Cook aka Capt Cook, HI) and the Captain Cook memorial many times. If anyone's is visiting the Big Island definitely a nice place to snorkel.