April 6, 1909 Robert Peary Claims the North Pole”

In April of 1909 Robert Peary's quest of almost two decades came to an end. He claimed that he reached the North Pole, the object of his driving, single-minded ambition, on April 6.

He had wintered his ship, the Roosevelt, at Cape Sheridan at the northern end of Ellesmere Island. In mid-February he put his plan, the "Peary System," into place. Support parties of Inuit and his own hand-picked Americans and one Newfoundlander would go ahead according to a schedule devised by Peary. They would take provisions, mark a trail and build snowhouse shelters for the final party, which would consist of Peary, Matthew Henson and four Inuit.

Peary's party left the relative comfort of the ship on Feb. 22. They skirted the northern coast of Ellesmere for a week, heading north, then west. On March 1 he finally left the coast at Cape Columbia and proceeded north. But at his fourth camp, he was halted by a stretch of open water, the famous "big lead." He was not able to make it across for another week.

The supporting parties which had preceded him turned back one by one. Dr. Goodsell's was the first, on March 14. The following day, Donald MacMillan and his party turned back. Five days later it was George Borup's turn to reverse direction and begin the journey back to the ship. On March 26, the ill-fated Ross Marvin, travelling with two Inuit, also turned back. He never made it to the safety of the ship. He was shot by one of his Inuit companions because of his irrational behaviour, actions that they thought put their own safe return in jeopardy.

Finally on April 1, Peary ordered Bob Bartlett, the Newfoundlander who was captain of the Roosevelt, to turn back. Bartlett did so reluctantly, but knew there was no choice. Peary had made it clear that he would not share the glory of reaching the North Pole with another white man. He would continue on with his black assistant, Matthew Henson, and four Polar Inuit, Uutaaq, Ukkujaaq, Iggiannguaq and Sigluk.

Peary and his party continued northward and Peary claimed to reach the Pole on April 6, remaining there for about 30 hours. Unlike modern polar adventurers, Peary and his party had no Twin Otters on call to pick them up and whisk them off to the accolades of well-wishers. Laboriously, they made the return journey back to Cape Columbia, which they reached on April 23, then on to the ship two days later.

Peary was not able to get the news of his conquest of the Pole out for a number of months. His ship was securely frozen in and would not be released from the grip of the Arctic ice until summer. When word of his accomplishment finally reached the outside world in September, he would quickly learn that his rival, Dr. Frederick Cook, had just a few days earlier informed the world of his own attainment of the Pole in the spring of 1908, almost a year before Peary.

The accomplishments of these two men have been mired in controversy ever since. Cook claimed that there was glory enough for two. But that was easy for him to say, since he claimed to be first. As Peary knew, there really would be no praise and public glory for being second. And so the vicious denigration of Frederick Cook began.

Today the debate continues among polar scholars, writers, adventurers and fanatics. It has lasted almost a century. The next two years will mark the centenaries of each man's claimed accomplishment and there will no doubt be a spate of books and articles written by partisans of each side.

Taissumani recounts a specific event of historic interest. Kenn Harper is a historian, writer and linguist who lives in Iqaluit. Feedback? Send your comments and questions to kennharper@hotmail.com.