Prompt Cast
The Mysterious Failure of the Franklin Expedition
TLDR The Franklin Expedition, tasked with charting the Arctic in the mid-19th century, resulted in the disappearance and death of all 129 crew members. Despite evidence of lead poisoning, botulism, and cannibalism, the exact reasons for the expedition's failure remain a mystery.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Franklin Expedition, one of the most famous expeditions in history, resulted in the disappearance and death of all 129 crew members, and despite the evidence that has been found over time, the exact reasons for the expedition's failure remain a mystery.
04:54
The Franklin Expedition was tasked with charting the Arctic, which was still largely unexplored and uncharted by the British Royal Navy in the mid-19th century.
09:56
Franklin gained notoriety for surviving a failed expedition where half of his men died and he famously ate his boots to survive, leading to his knighthood and the publication of a bestselling book.
14:46
Franklin's wife, Lady Jane Franklin, convinced him to go on one more Arctic expedition to restore their family name and map the Northwest Passage, which was considered potentially the last one, despite the dangers involved.
20:01
Lady Jane Franklin successfully secured the appointment for her husband, Franklin, to lead the 1846 Arctic expedition, despite his average track record and the Royal Navy's willingness to let him go.
25:16
The 1840s Arctic expedition was well-equipped with sailing ships, fresh food, livestock, pets, tobacco, booze, lemon juice to prevent scurvy, and 8,000 tins of food, including pemmican, which was a popular staple in the Arctic.
30:23
The crew members took on supplies and sailed towards Baffin Bay, where they were sighted by whaling ships before entering Lancaster Sound, but due to the ice, they had to immediately start sailing south instead of crossing the sound, and they eventually wintered at Beachy Island.
35:29
The crew of the Franklin Expedition becomes worried when the ice doesn't melt during the second summer, and their leader, Franklin, dies, leaving a clear chain of command with Crozier and Fitz James as the second and third in command.
40:41
At this point, the crew is focused on survival and trying to walk across the frozen sea ice while pushing their ships loaded with supplies, and the search for the expedition begins with over 30 expeditions being launched to find them.
45:56
The Inuit told explorer Charles Dickens that the Franklin Expedition engaged in cannibalism, which was not well-received by Lady Jane Franklin, but it was later proven to be true when graves and corpses were found, along with the discovery of the ships in 2014 and 2016, and lead poisoning may have also contributed to their demise.
51:09
Lead poisoning and botulism may have contributed to the deaths of the Franklin Expedition, and evidence of cannibalism has been found.
56:12
Lead poisoning and botulism may have contributed to the deaths of the Franklin Expedition, and evidence of cannibalism has been found.
Categories:
Society & Culture
