IshaanBilala
Banned
In the 1490s, John Cabot (an Italian, Giovanni Caboto, who Anglicized his name while sailing for Britain) suggested that a Northwest Passage must exist, providing direct access between Asia and North America.
The Inuit, having lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, likely knew about such an ice-clogged water way. But for Europeans, excited about discovery and adventure, the search would soon be on.
By the 16th century, explorers wishing to reach the Orient by avoiding the long, unsafe routes around Cape Horn (at the tip of South America) and the Cape of Good Hope (at the tip of Africa), mounted expeditions to the area now known as the Canadian Arctic. It took three centuries, and many explorers, to discover that a water route exists.
For many, trying to find a passage though the maze of ice and islands would require their lives. One of those who died was Sir John Franklin.
When Franklin, a 60-year-old Englishman, mounted his third expedition to the Arctic (on May 12, 1845), he had two excellent ships (the Terror and Erebus).
Franklin also had 129 crew members and, significantly, a faulty map. He believed he had enough supplies on board to last the length of the trip.
No one could have known that the supplies they carried would contribute to the loss of the mission and the death of the whole crew.
Later, when people in England realized the expedition must have encountered serious trouble, other explorers set out to locate the missing men. Some, searching for first-hand evidence, talked with Inuit people who had seen Franklin. In fact, both ships were hopelessly trapped in ice at King William Island (in Victoria Strait).
The Inuit, having lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, likely knew about such an ice-clogged water way. But for Europeans, excited about discovery and adventure, the search would soon be on.
By the 16th century, explorers wishing to reach the Orient by avoiding the long, unsafe routes around Cape Horn (at the tip of South America) and the Cape of Good Hope (at the tip of Africa), mounted expeditions to the area now known as the Canadian Arctic. It took three centuries, and many explorers, to discover that a water route exists.
For many, trying to find a passage though the maze of ice and islands would require their lives. One of those who died was Sir John Franklin.
When Franklin, a 60-year-old Englishman, mounted his third expedition to the Arctic (on May 12, 1845), he had two excellent ships (the Terror and Erebus).
Franklin also had 129 crew members and, significantly, a faulty map. He believed he had enough supplies on board to last the length of the trip.
No one could have known that the supplies they carried would contribute to the loss of the mission and the death of the whole crew.
Later, when people in England realized the expedition must have encountered serious trouble, other explorers set out to locate the missing men. Some, searching for first-hand evidence, talked with Inuit people who had seen Franklin. In fact, both ships were hopelessly trapped in ice at King William Island (in Victoria Strait).