The Race to the South Pole
This page is provided as a contrast to exploration in the North, specifically the race to the North Pole. Reaching either Pole in the early 20th century was seen as a feat of ingenuity, bravery, and technological advancement which is highlighted further below. A key difference between the two "pole races" is the fact that Antarctica is uninhabited by perminant residents - so explorers had to rely solely on their own knowledge instead of working with Indigenous guides.
The Race to the South Pole was a race engaged by two great polar explorers with the goal of becoming the first to reach the geographic South Pole in Antarctica. The explorers were Britain's Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and Norway's Roald Amundsen. Fueled by the Heroic Age (period of intense expeditions to the polar regions in the 19th and 20th centuries) and the hardly explored Antarctic, both explorers were very determined to become embedded in history as the first person ever to reach the South Pole.
Captain Robert Falcon Scott was a British naval officer and explorer. Born in England during 1868, he was aprt of the Royal Navy and was heavily inclined towards expeditions. His first major expedition, known as the Discovery Expdition lasting from 1901-1904, was an expedition meant to conduct scientific research in Antarctica and to explore. This expedition set the grounds towards his acclimation as a polar explorer, where he would lter be part of the Race to the South Pole against Roald Amundsen in the 1910's.
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegion explorer and adventurer. Born in Norway in 1872, he grew up in a family consisting of seafarers and shipowners, influencing his passion for exploration even at an early age. His first major expedition was the Belgian Antarctic expedition, lasting from 1897-1899. This expedition is where he was first exposed to the Antarctic region, thereby laying the groundwork for his travel back to Antarctica years later. Besides the Race to the South Pole, he is also known for his successful nagivation fo the Northwest Passage; a testament to his great explortive skills.
The Race to the South Pole was a race between British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen to see who would be the first person to ever reach the geographic South Pole.
Attempting to explore the Antarctic, and more specifically reaching the South Pole, was fueled by the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. This age consisted of dangerous and intensive exploration endeavors with the goal of charting and visiting new places within the polar regions. Before this time, the Arctic and the civilizations residing within the area, were the main focus for exploration within the polar regions. However, the early 20th Century saw a shift in more attention being placed on Antarctic exploration. Prominent among individuals who were eager to explore the Antarctic within this surge of interest were Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.
Roald Amundsen’s history with regards to the race began with his initial plan to take an expedition to the North Pole and to explore the Arctic basin. Not only did he find trouble raising the funds to finance his expedition, but the claims that either Frederick Cook or Robert Peary had reached the North Pole first shifted his passion of exploration towards the Antarctic. Interestingly enough, he kept his plans of trying to reach the South Pole hidden from people close to him, such as his financers and crewmates until right before he had set off towards exploring. This was especially surprising to Scott, who had been planning an expedition to the South Pole as well that very year. Using the ship Fram, he set off towards Antarctica on June 3, 1910 and the race to the South Pole as on.
Robert Falcon Scott’s history with regards to the race began has its roots in his Discovery Expedition from 1901-1904. This expedition had scientific and exploration objectives, which assisted in Scott’s knowledge and experience within Antarctica. He had gained much recognition from this expedition, especially from the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). Financed by public contributions and the British government, another expedition to the Antarctic would be made and led by Scott himself. Coming to be known as the Terra Nova expedition, it was an expedition back to the Antarctic that was “scientific primarily, with exploration and the Pole as secondary objectives”. Though this was the purpose, Scott sought to reach the South pole and secure Britain's honor by achieving such a massive feat. On June 15, 1910 the Terra Nova had set off, and Scott was now underway in the Race to the South Pole.
Amundsen was the first to reach Antarctica. On January 14, 1911 Fram had reached the Bay of Whales on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. Due to preparation, planning, familiarization with the environment, training, and weather conditions, Amundsen would continue setting up camp and preparing to depart towards the pole until October 20, 1911. Scott’s crew had arrived in Antarctica on October 19, 1911 at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Coming to Antarctica much later than Amundsen caused him to also depart toward the pole later than Amundsem. Luckily, his prior skills and knowledge within Antarctica allowed him to set up camp much faster than Amundsen, and Scott’s crew departed from Cape Evans on November 1st, 1911.
Despite all hardships and adversity, Amundsen reached the South Pole on December 14, 1912, thereby becoming the first person in history to reach the South Pole. He proceeded to raise a Norwegian flag, stay at the pole for 3 days, and head back to his camp. Zero people died on this expedition under his leadership.
Scott also managed to reach the South Pole, but not before Amundsen. On January 17, 1912 he arrived at the pole only to see a Norwegian flag posted up in the ice. Disappointed to learn Amundsen had beaten him to the pole, he and his crew had turned back towards their campsite. With factors such as the ending of the Antarctic summer, frostbite, and hunger being prevalent, Scott and his crew perished in Antarctica, as evident through his last journal entry on March 29, 1912. Not one member of the crew had survived the Terra Nova expedition.
Though Amundsen received the glory of becoming the first person to ever reach the South Pole and not losing a single crew member, Scott was also greatly celebrated; even after death.
Amundsen was celebrated world wide; receiving congratulations from US president Theodore Roosevelt and Kind George V of Englans. He embarked on a lecturing tour and was known all around the globe.
Scott, on the other hand, gained admiration in his own respects. Even after death, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. Similarly, he was a hero in his native Britain because of his bravery and dedication towards the British Empire.
Both names are now famously recognized around the globe, and the establishment of the permant research facility in Antarctica - the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station - is evident of that.
Works Cited
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Wilford, John Noble. “Amazing Race to the Bottom of the World.” The New York Times, 12 December 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/amazing-race-to-the-bottom-of-the-world.html. Accessed 2 June 2023.