Henry Hudson: your thoughts?

Matthew Yglesias passes along news of the first known trip through the Northwest Passage, the shortcut to Asia that Henry Hudson so desperately sought.  

My initial reaction is that this completely changes the narrative of 4th grade social studies in New York, where Hudson and his failed trips "over the top" of North America.  The whole idea of Hudson as a tragic hero, trapped by the ignorance of his era.  When kids grow up in an era where people can sail through the Arctic, does Hudson then turn into a visionary? How does this shape young people's views of ice cap melting?