POLAR REGIONS

Arctic Exploration

Sir John Franklin

I n 1818 the British Navy sent two separate expeditions in four ships to the Arctic. War between England and France had just finished and the Navy had many spare ships. The Admiralty used them to search again for the Northwest Passage. John Franklin commanded one of these ships. He was born in 1786 and had joined the Navy at 14. He fought bravely at Copenhagen and Trafalgar and had been promoted to lieutenant by the time he left for the Arctic. For his first expedition Franklin went to the Greenland Sea. Between 1819 and 1827 Franklin led overland expeditions to explore the Arctic coast of North America. He traveled more than 6,000 miles by canoe on grueling journeys that taught him much about Arctic travel. When he returned to England in 1827, Franklin was knighted for his discoveries.

F ranklin made many Arctic expeditions. He died looking for the Northwest Passage.

S everal overland expeditions crossed the Canadian Arctic to try and find the western end of the Northwest Passage.

Franklin’s Last Journey Franklin returned to the Arctic in 1845. He was 58 years old and he was again seeking the Northwest Passage. He took two strong ships called Erebus and Terror , with food for a three-year expedition and 134 officers and crew. Franklin followed routes discovered in 1818 and 1819. The first winter was passed on Beechey Island, where three men died. Continuing the next summer (1846) he

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