32 - Terror in the North West Passage - Franklin's Perilous Expedition

Footnotes of History

Quick note: Don't forget to sail yourself over the footnotesofhistory.com for more daring exploits from the past.

With that announcement out of the way, today's episode is equal parts grand, intrepid adventure and terrifying horror story.
In 1845, things were looking pretty good exploration-wise. Humanity knew where most things were and maps were *almost* as we see them today.

That’s barring a few wars here and there in Europe – but I’m talking about islands, continents and oceans here, not Bismarck for once.

But there was one itch that kept nagging at the compulsive brains of the great and the good - and that was the Arctic.

The theory was sound:

Logically, from the spherical shape of the globe, there should be some kind of route from Europe that went due north west across the Atlantic, between the coasts of Greenland and Canada.

Then you would head sharply west at Baffin Bay and travel “over” the seas off the northern coast of Canada before finally heading south again into the clear waters of the Pacific.

From there it ought to be plain sailing to Japan, China and the rich trading zones of the Asian continent.

Easier said than done thanks to the treacherous polar ice – its habit of melting and suddenly re-freezing at random had trapped many an explorer in its fatal grip.

But the mission remained alluring for a few reasons:

• It would shorten the trade route to Asia significantly. Currently, ships had to sail all the way south around the Cape of Good Hope and then East. This was a long journey, but it was also dangerous – the seas were rough and - until much later - swarmed with pirates.
• The country that discovered and secured the route first would be at a significant advantage versus other nations. This was a time of grandiose nationalism and of variations on the “manifest destiny” – many nations considered it their destiny to dominate the world and the North West Passage would be a prestigious asset in the struggle.
• The man who found the safe route would be the Toast of the Empire for generations to come. In fact, he could readily expect to have the route named after him.
• There was also a slightly more mundane justification: the Royal Navy was a vast force that was – in the absence of war - sailing about with not a huge amount of purpose.

So the stakes were high.

Step forward Sir John Franklin.

A veteran of polar exploration, eager to make his name and equipped with state-of-the-art ships, Franklin was tasked by the Royal Navy with the exploration of the last bit of the Arctic that was so far uncharted.

What would he find?

Well you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out!