Ernest Shackleton, The Heroic Age of Antarctic

Exploration and Endurance

Jennifer Hoban, Jaime Nix, Federico Palacios & Phong

TongUniversity of Central

Oklahoma

Ernest Shackleton: The Man• Second of Ten Children• Oldest Son• Love of literature and

the sea• Attentive, observant

and intelligent• Married Emily Dorman

at 28• Eager to make a name

for himself and family

Ernest Shackleton: The Career

• Merchant Marines– 1890 - Joined at the rank of ‘Boy’

at 16– 1892 - First Mate at 18– 1898 - Full Master at 24

• Appointed to National Antarctic Expedition (NEA) 1901– Three Expeditions to South Pole

• Discovery Expedition 1901-04• Nimrod Expedition 1907• Endurance Expedition 1914-17

Ernest Shackleton – Expedition Discovery

• 1901 Shackleton joined Robert Scott on a trek to the South Pole.

• Scott and Shackleton clashed frequently• Did not meet objective, but pushed further

than any previous expedition• Scott published Voyage of Discovery

– Shackleton portrayed as point of failure• Shackleton began planning Expedition

Nimrod

Ernest Shackleton – Expedition Nimrod

• Determined to prove self-worth• Two years raising funds and

securing endorsements• Two years sailing• Established the furthest south

record of 97 geographic miles from Pole

• Knighted by King Edward VII for this achievement

Reaching the South Pole: The Race for First

• Fierce International Competition

• Roland Amundsen of Norway won the race in 1911

• Prompted Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionDifficulties are just things to overcome,

after all.--Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton – Expedition Endurance

• Crossing of Antarctica from Weddell Sea to Ross Sea

• Many Obstacles– Funds– Supplies– Crew– Ships

• Set Sail January 18, 1915• Crew of 28

Funding the Endurance

• Required $4.4M to $7M

• Private and Public Investors Leery

• Mission Deemed too Dangerous

• Rumors of Physical Weakness

Rations and Supplies• Commission of Specialty

Products– Composition Cake

• 3000 calories a piece– Lime Juice Capsules

• Vitamin C• Equipment and Clothing

– Windproof Coats– Fur Lined Sleeping Bags– Sturdy tents

A Crew of Twenty-Eight• Candidates divided into

categories of: Mad, Hopeless and Pathetic

• Shackleton desired balance of personality and capability

• Premium placed on Perseverance

• Sought experienced North Sea Fishermen

Initial Trials and Unexpected Obstacles

• Britain Declared War on Germany

• Captain Incapable of Maintaining Discipline

• Dog Sled Trainer Failed to Appear

• Poor Credit• Ice Flows Further North

than Expected

Endurance Antarctic Bound• August 8, 1914

– Leaves British Waters • December 5, 1914

– Departed South Georgia• January 10, 1914

– Spotted Antarctica – January 21, 1915

– Frozen in ice floe • October 27, 1915

– Abandoned Ship • November 1, 1915

– Established Permanent Camp

• November 21, 1915– Endurance Sinks

After Endurance

• Lifeboats launched in search of land• Camp Established on Elephant Island• 800 mile journey on James Caird to South

Georgia Island• Four months after James Caird launched,

party was rescued• All survived

The Endurance Voyage - What Went Wrong

• Failure to properly assess risk factors– Lack of survival

skill training– Failure to train

sled dogs– Decision to sail

despite northern ice floes

What Could Have Been Done Differently

• Postpone the Expedition– More favorable sea conditions– Full and capable staff