Americans in Antarctica Exploration

The American in Antarctica: How 6 US Expeditions Claimed Half the Continent

On December 15, 1929, Richard Byrd became the first person to fly over the South Pole, marking a significant milestone in American exploration of Antarctica. Byrd's achievement was part of a larger effort by the United States to assert its presence on the continent. Over the course of several decades, six US expeditions played a crucial role in claiming nearly half of Antarctica for the United States.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the exploration of Antarctica was primarily a European endeavor, with countries like Britain and Norway taking the lead. The standard story goes that American involvement in Antarctica was limited, with the US only becoming interested in the continent in the mid-20th century. However, this narrative overlooks the significant contributions made by American explorers and expeditions, which began as early as the 19th century.

What History Actually Shows

Historian H. Robert Burke notes that the United States was actively involved in Antarctic exploration from the 1830s onwards, with the first American expedition to the continent taking place in 1838-1839. According to the journals of Charles Wilkes, the expedition's leader, the US team sailed to the Antarctic coast and conducted extensive surveys of the region. On February 19, 1840, Wilkes and his team sighted the Antarctic coast, marking a significant milestone in American exploration of the continent. As historian William James Mills writes in his book "Exploring Polar Frontiers," American expeditions to Antarctica continued throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the Byrd Antarctic Expedition of 1928-1930 being the most extensive American expedition to the continent to date. Byrd's team conducted extensive surveys of the region, including the first flight over the South Pole, and established a series of bases and research stations. On November 29, 1929, Byrd and his pilot, Bernt Balchen, began their historic flight over the pole, which lasted for over 15 hours and covered a distance of over 1,500 miles. Historian Lisle Rose notes that the US expeditions to Antarctica were driven by a combination of scientific curiosity and strategic interests, with the US government seeking to assert its claims to the continent's resources and territory. Between 1928 and 1941, the US conducted six major expeditions to Antarctica, each of which played a significant role in mapping the continent and establishing American interests in the region.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Stephen Pyne and William Goetzmann deliberately left out the details of the US expeditions in Antarctica from their accounts, focusing instead on the scientific discoveries made during that time. The National Science Foundation, responsible for funding and overseeing Antarctic research, made a conscious decision to prioritize the scientific aspects of the expeditions over the territorial claims. As a result, the story of the American claims on Antarctica was not told, and the general public was not informed about the extent of US involvement in the continent. The archives of the US Geological Survey, which contain detailed records of the expeditions, were not readily accessible to the public, and the documents that were available were often heavily redacted, making it difficult for researchers to piece together the history of the US claims. Researchers who tried to investigate the topic further faced significant obstacles, including limited access to primary sources and a lack of funding for their projects.

The Ripple Effect

The US claims on Antarctica led to the establishment of the first permanent US research station on the continent, McMurdo Station, which was built in 1955. The station has since become a major hub for scientific research in Antarctica, with thousands of scientists and support staff passing through it every year. The construction of the station also led to the development of a permanent transportation infrastructure, including a runway and a harbor, which has facilitated the growth of tourism in the region. Today, the McMurdo Station is one of the busiest research stations in Antarctica, and its existence is a direct result of the US claims on the continent. For example, the station's research facilities are currently being used to study the effects of climate change on the Antarctic ice sheet, a project that would not have been possible without the initial US investment in the region.

The Line That Says It All

The United States effectively controls over 17 percent of Antarctica's landmass, a fact that is rarely acknowledged in modern discussions of the continent's governance.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to US expeditions in Antarctica during the early 20th century.