Contrasting Philosophies and Legacies of Prominent Arctic Explorers

Key Insight

By 1900, Arctic exploration was largely shaped by the figures of Robert Peary and Fridtjof Nansen, later joined by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, each embodying distinct philosophies and leaving unique legacies. Robert Peary, the elder, was a shrewd, fame-driven individual whose genuine accomplishments, including extensive explorations of northern Greenland and reaching the North Pole in 1909, demanded immense determination. However, his bluster and commanding nature often concealed deep loneliness and insecurity, which he sought to alleviate through achievements and cultivating powerful allies. In his later years, Peary grew rigid, less congenial, and increasingly arrogant, especially after the controversy surrounding Frederick Cook's competing North Pole claim, though his private journals reveal a more tender side, including devotion to his wife and moments of self-doubt.

In contrast, Nansen, a Norwegian scientist and humanitarian, possessed a broader world view and a profound understanding of global events, contributing significantly across multiple fields. He became the first explorer to cross the Greenland ice cap, developed and proved a theory of polar drift after observing the wreckage of the Jeannette in Greenland in 1884, and authored the scholarly two-volume work 'In Northern Mists.' Nansen's ingenuity was epitomized by the design of the Fram, a 128-foot schooner purpose-built to survive the polar pack with its smooth, round-bottomed shape and retractable rudder and propeller. The Fram successfully drifted for two years from 1893 to 1895, allowing Nansen to make numerous observations, before he left the ship to make his own arduous sledge journey towards the North Pole, reaching beyond 86°N.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a highly visible 20th-century Arctic explorer, was an individualist and often an unscrupulous promoter of his own endeavors. He held a flawed and dogmatic understanding of Arctic biology and climate, famously asserting in 'The Friendly Arctic' that the land would always provide, particularly for white men. To substantiate this, he often killed animals indiscriminately, leaving behind what was inconvenient, and as a social Darwinist, he viewed the Arctic as an extension of American prairies, advocating for the removal of 'cumbering' wild animals for ranching and agriculture. Despite his visionary determination in discovering several islands and extensively mapping the western high Arctic between 1913 and 1918, his misguided insistence on Arctic development and Canada's claim to Wrangel Island led to disastrous projects and tragedies, including the deaths of four young men who followed his 'living off the land' directives. Despite these flaws, Stefansson was approachable, readily shared discoveries, acknowledged failures, and uniquely among his peers, expressed deep compassion for sled dogs, despising the practice of feeding them to each other.