George Washington's World - James Cook

James Cook was apprenticed to the grocer.  Once he saw a South Sea shilling and he took it and replaced it with one of his own shillings.  After the matter was settled between his master and him, the grocer let him go on the Walkers, coal shippers that took on apprentices.

After a couple of years of learning, James went back home to England.  There were press gangs taking seamen for seamen were hard to get.  The press gangs would walk up and grab a victim around the neck.  If he resisted, they would hit him on the head.  When he came to, he was on a ship and out to sea.  Rather than be caught by a press gang, James Cook preferred to join the Navy on his own two feet.

The first place the Navy sent him to, which he was happy about because he hoped that he would travel further than any man had traveled before and as far as any man could go, was North America.

Below is a picture of James Cook with Mom's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother.
 (Hee hee).