They would advance humankind’s knowledge of the frozen continents during the first half of the 19th century. After them, six future American explorers of the Arctic were born late in the century. One, Robert Edwin Peary, would begin the next century by opening the frozen door even further, inspiring a dozen US explorers to continue his work well into the 1900s. Taking up the intense interest of 19th century Europeans in exploring the polar extremes, the USA soon became a major competitor, producing some of the 20th century’s greatest Arctic explorers since Palmer, Peary and Wilkes.

The Friendly Islands Rome, 1798 in Atlas of the World Sforzesco Castle, Milan