The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture

219 Pages·2006·1.07 MB·English

by  Michael F. Robinson

The Coldest Crucible

The Coldest Crucible
Arctic Exploration and American Culture
M I C H A E L F. R O B I N S O N
TheUniversityofChicagoPress
chicago and london
michael f. robinsonisassistantprofessorof
historyatHillyerCollege,UniversityofHartford.
TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Chicago60637
TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Ltd.,London
(cid:2)C 2006byTheUniversityofChicago
Allrightsreserved.Published2006
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
15141312 11 10 09 08 07 06 1 2 3 4 5
isbn:0-226-72184-1(cloth)
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Robinson,MichaelF.(MichaelFrederick),1966–
Thecoldestcrucible:ArcticexplorationandAmerican
culture/MichaelF.Robinson.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn0-226-72184-1(cloth:alk.paper)
1.Arcticregions—Discoveryandexploration—American. 2.Explorers—
UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. 3.Scientists—UnitedStates—History—
19thcentury. 4.Science—UnitedStates—History—19thcentury. I.Title.
G630.A5R632006
910(cid:3).9163(cid:3)2—dc22
2005023250
(cid:2)∞Thepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimum
requirementsoftheAmericanNationalStandard
forInformationSciences—PermanenceofPaper
forPrintedLibraryMaterials,ansiz39.48-1992.
Formyparents,RobertC.RobinsonandLucilleA.Robinson

Contents
ListofIllustrations (cid:2) ix
Acknowledgments (cid:2) xi
introduction (cid:2) 1
chapter one (cid:2) 15
BuildinganArcticTradition
chapter two (cid:2) 31
AManofScienceandHumanity
ElishaKentKane
chapter three (cid:2) 55
AnArcticDivided
IsaacHayesandCharlesHall
chapter four (cid:2) 83
DyingLikeMen
AdolphusGreely
chapter five (cid:2) 107
TheNewMachines
WalterWellmanandRobertPeary
chapter six (cid:2) 133
SavageCampaigns
RobertPearyandFrederickCook
conclusion (cid:2) 159
Notes (cid:2) 165
Bibliography (cid:2) 181
Index (cid:2) 199

Illustrations
1.JosephinePearyswaddlingherdaughterMarieinnorthern
Greenland 11
2.DetailfromJohnson’sNewIllustratedFamilyAtlas(1866) 23
3.SirJohnFranklin 27
4.HenryGrinnell 27
5.ElishaKentKane 32
6.GravesonBeecheyIsland 36
7.Theshoresoftheopenpolarsea 45
8.IsaacHayes 57
9.CharlesHall 67
10.WalterWellman 112
11.Americaleavingthehangar 117
12.RobertPeary 120
13.TheodoreRooseveltandRobertPearyaboardtheRoosevelt 128
14.Cartoon,“Whenthe‘Roosevelt’ReachestheNorthPole’’ 128
15.FrederickCookandhiswife 134
16.Cartoon,“AstheMatterStands’’ 149
17.Cartoon,“MoreAnnexationTroubles’’ 150
18.Cartoon,“ASuggestiontoManufacturersofGrotesqueToys
fortheHolidays’’ 151