The discovery of Captain James Cook’s HMS Endeavour in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, has been verified by American maritime researchers, resolving a 250-year mystery that links the history of our country’s Revolution with international exploration. After circumnavigating New Zealand and arriving at Australia’s eastern shores, the historic ship was used for the American Revolution before being purposefully sunk by British forces in 1778 to thwart French naval advances.
Historic American Waters Hide British Explorer’s Legacy
The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) has concluded a 25-year search for the famous vessel at an underwater archaeological site designated RI 2394, located between 39 and 43 feet below Newport Harbor’s surface. Researchers matched the wreckage with historical records, finding that timber measurements aligned within millimeters of the original ship’s specifications, confirming this site as Cook’s legendary vessel.
I flew on Endeavour for 186 Earth orbits – now the original has been found, sunk off Rhode Island. It did one historic 3-year orbit, with Capt Cook in command. https://t.co/nZ9aVfIITL @seamuseum_ pic.twitter.com/XmcPQ3831r
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) June 17, 2025
After its famous Pacific explorations from 1768 to 1771, the ship was sold, renamed Lord Sandwich, and repurposed for military operations during the American Revolution. In 1778, British forces deliberately scuttled the vessel as part of strategic efforts to block French ships from assisting American revolutionaries, creating an unexpected American connection to this internationally significant historical artifact.
Revolutionary War Connection Confirms American Historical Significance
Two Australian historians initially identified the potential location in 1998, leading to decades of meticulous archaeological investigation to confirm the ship’s identity. The site features four iron cannons, a linear stone ballast pile, exposed frame ends, and structural elements that perfectly match the documented repairs made to the Endeavour in 1776, providing conclusive evidence of its identity.
Captain Cooks Centuries lost ship HMS Endeavour finally confirmed in U.S. Waters
The long-lost HMS Endeavour, Captain James Cook’s ship, has been found off Rhode Island’s coast, 250 years after it sank.
From 1768 to 1771, it was the first European ship to reach eastern… pic.twitter.com/SzV8QPTCzU— SnDMedia (@SnDMediaNews) June 17, 2025
Maritime archaeologists determined RI 2394 was the most likely candidate based on ten specific criteria, including the absence of American timbers and the presence of a European elm keel. “By 2019, careful surface investigation of all shipwrecks located within the Limited Study Area determined RI 2394 was the most likely candidate for the ex-HMS Endeavour,” reported the Australian National Maritime Museum, whose findings have been validated through extensive underwater research.
Protecting America’s Maritime Heritage
The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission is working alongside Australian authorities to ensure proper protection for this significant archaeological site. The discovery represents a unique intersection of American Revolutionary history and global maritime exploration, with the ship holding cultural significance for the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, and indigenous Pacific peoples.
“The size of all the timber scantlings is almost identical to Endeavour, and I’m talking within millimeters – not inches, but millimeters,” said Kieran Hosty, emphasizing the precision of the archaeological match.
While valuable artifacts were likely removed before the ship’s strategic sinking, the structural remains provide definitive evidence of its identity. The Australian National Maritime Museum stated, “Consequently, the preponderance of evidence supports this shipwreck site’s identification as [HMS Endeavour] … and at the same time discounts any of the other investigated shipwreck sites as that of James Cook’s renowned ship of exploration.”
Sources:
https://nypost.com/2025/06/16/science/captain-james-cooks-lost-ship-endeavour-found-after-250-years/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/captain-cook-endeavour-ship-rhode-island-newport-harbor/