THE RACE TO THE SOUTH POLE

CLASS 1 – INTRODUCTION

Ø Course Outline

Ø Suggested Reading

Ø Antarctica and the South Pole

o A quick introduction

§ Where are they? § What is the South Pole like?

Ø Setting the Stage ― Antarctica Discovery and Exploration before the race

THE RACE TO THE SOUTH POLE

COURSE OUTLINE WEEK 1

Introduction ― Course outline; suggested reading; the South Pole – Where? and What’s it like?; Antarctic exploration/history before the race began. Will also consider the question of just why explorers ― and those who backed them ― were eager to reach the South Pole.

WEEK 2

The Belgica expedition (1897-99) ― Introduction to Roald Amundsen. His baptism and apprenticeship in Antarctica and polar exploration generally.

WEEK 3

The Discovery expedition (1901-04) ― Introduction to Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton as they enter the scene and encounter Antarctica for the first time. They learn much and the seeds of the race are sown.

WEEK 4

The Nimrod expedition (1907-09) ― Ernest Shackleton returns leading his own expedition, the first expedition with the explicit goal of reaching the South Pole. He finds the way to the Polar Plateau, and almost wins the race.

Weeks 5 – 7

Amundsen’s Fram and Scott’s Terra Nova expeditions (1910-13) ― With the prize of the South Pole still available after Shackleton’s near miss, Amundsen and Scott return to the Antarctic, each determined to be the first to claim the prize. The race is on, then won and lost. These class sessions will also cover the competitors who did not leave the starting line: America’s Robert Peary and Japan’s Nobu Shirase and his Kainan Maru expedition.

Weeks 8

The Endurance expedition (1914-17) ― Shackleton again, in an epilogue to the Race to the Pole. With the prize of the South Pole claimed, Shackleton attempts the “Last Great Journey,” to cross the Antarctic continent via the South Pole. This class will cover not only the justly famous story of the Endurance in the Weddell Sea, but will also weave in the lesser known, but no less stirring, tale of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party.

ANTARCTIC DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION BEFORE THE RACE

BC ― Greeks speculate existence of a large land mass in the S. Hemisphere, in a frigid zone far to the south

1519 ― Magellan discovers Strait of Magellan, circumnavigates world, cutting off any speculated land in the far south from known land

1500s ― Maps published showing massive land mass in the Southern Hemisphere

1641 ― First known South Polar projection map published

1675 ― South Georgia Island discovered, first true Antarctic type land

1772-75

― James Cook circumnavigates Antarctic regions in a high latitude, crosses Antarctic Circle, reaches 71º 10’ S; destroys the myth of massive southern continent extending far north

1819 ― William Smith discovers South Shetlands, leading to a sealing rush to the islands as well as renewed exploration

1820 ― Fabian von Bellingshausen sights coast of East Antarctica, Jan 27; second high latitude of Antarctic completed 1821, at times well to south of Cook’s route

― 1st map of Antarctic regions based on discovery rather than speculation published

1821 ― First landing on Antarctic continent, by American sealers, on Antarctic Peninsula

1823 ― James Weddell sails deep into Weddell Sea, reaches 74º 20’ S

1840 ― Frenchman Dumont d’Urville discovers Adélie Land, on coast of East Antarctica; American Charles Wilkes sights scattered land for 1500 miles along coast of East Antarctica; Wilkes writes of having seen “The Antarctic Continent”

1841 ― James Clark Ross discovers Ross Sea, Victoria Land, Ross Ice Shelf; reaches 78º 10’ S

1880s ― Interest in renewal of Antarctic exploration grows; first proposals to attempt to reach the South Pole itself

1890 ― First use of name “Antarctica” for the supposed continent on a published map

1893 ― British Royal Geographical Society Antarctic Committee formed, begins promotion of sending British expedition to Antarctica

1895 ― Henrik Bull’s whaling reconnaissance expedition to Ross Sea, lands at Cape Adare, first definite landing on main body of Antarctic Continent

― 6th International Geographical Congress concludes with a ringing call for Antarctic exploration, stating “. . . the exploration of the Antarctic Regions is the greatest piece of geographical exploration still to be undertaken.”