A shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island has been identified as the long-lost HMS Endeavour, the vessel sailed by British explorer Captain James Cook during the American War of Independence in 1778. The Australian National Maritime Museum has claimed that they have found evidence supporting this identification. Two years ago, the museum first made the claim, but it was quickly denied by the Rhode Island Maritime Archaeology Project, citing a lack of indisputable data at the time. However, the museum stood by their claim, stating that they used a "preponderance of evidence approach" to confirm the shipwreck's identity.

Now, the Australian National Maritime Museum has stated that they have uncovered new evidence that further supports their claim. They have discovered a pump well and a part of the wreck's bow, which they believe confirms the ship's identity. By comparing these findings with archival plans of the Endeavour from a British admiralty survey in 1768, researchers were able to accurately predict the location of the ship's bow and found a unique joint in the timber that matched information from the original plans.

The museum hopes to return to the Rhode Island site to create a 3D model of the wreck. They are willing to work with the Rhode Island government and the Rhode Island Maritime Archaeology Project to further investigate the site. The search for the HMS Endeavour has been ongoing since 1999, with scientists investigating several 18th-century shipwrecks in a two square mile area where they believed the Endeavour likely sank.

Originally launched in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, the ship was later renamed Endeavour by the Royal Navy. It embarked on scientific missions, including recording the transit of Venus in Tahiti and charting the coasts of Australia and New Zealand in 1770. The ship was later sold to private owners and hired by the Royal Navy as a troop transport during the American War of Independence. In 1778, it was deliberately sunk by British forces, along with four other vessels, to create a blockade at the northern end of Newport Harbour.

The Australian National Maritime Museum's claim gained further support in 2022 when they released new details about the wreck's identification as the Endeavour. The museum stated that evidence including structural details and the shape of the wreck led them to believe it was the Lord Sandwich, the ship that was renamed after Cook's voyage. The discovery of the shipwreck's pump well and a specific joint in the bow section of the wreck were significant turning points in identifying the site. The pump well's location aligned perfectly with archival plans of the ship, confirming its midships section. The keel-stem scarph, a highly diagnostic feature, matched the one detailed on the ship's plans and was critical to its identification. Only one other wreck with a keel-stem scarph like this one has been found, located in Bermuda.

Daryl Karp, the director and CEO of the museum, stated that this new evidence further supports their announcement in February 2022. The museum plans to release a final archaeological report on the wreck's identification in 2024. The HMS Endeavour holds historical significance as the vessel that Captain Cook sailed on during his exploration of the South Pacific from 1768 to 1771. Cook's voyage also involved the search for the "Great Southern Land." Unfortunately, Captain Cook was killed by local tribesmen in Hawaii on February 14, 1779.