In May of 1845, Sir John Franklin and 129 men set off on what he hoped would be a career-defining mission – to find the allusive Northwest Passage. For centuries, explorers searched for a way to cross North America to the Pacific Ocean without success. The northern Canadian waters were still unknown and dangerous, and for many who entered, it would be their final voyage. Unfortunately for Franklin and his crew, they would meet the same fate when they disappeared, never to be seen again. Today, we will discuss what we know of this fateful voyage and some theories about what may have happened to the crew.
References:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024b, December 6). Northwest Passage | Definition, Explorers, Map, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Northwest-Passage-trade-route
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, January 16). John Cabot | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Cabot
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2020/october/lost-franklin-expedition
NOVA | Arctic Passage | Tracing the Routes (printable) | PBS. (n.d.). https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/arctic/expe-nf.html
Schledermann, P. (1997). Sir John Franklin’s Last Arctic Expedition: A Chapter in the History of the Royal Navy, by Richard J. Cyriax. http://www.academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/107499787/Sir_John_Franklin_s_Last_Arctic_Expedition_A_Chapter_in_the_History_of_the_Royal_Navy_by_Richard_J_Cyriax
Photos:
File:2018-09-30 01 Franklin Camp grave images, Nunavut Canada 2015-09-11.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. (2018, September 30). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2018-09-30_01_Franklin_Camp_grave_images,_Nunavut_Canada_2015-09-11.jpg
Sir John Franklin’s Expedition. (1847, November 13). Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/article/sheffield-and-rotherham-independent-sir/28026736/
Hulton Archive/Getty Images. (n.d.). Sir John Franklin. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sir-John-Richardson-on-Sir-John-Franklin-1994314#/media/1/1994314/190435
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, January 25). Franklin’s lost expedition. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin%27s_lost_expedition
Frithowulf, H. (2024, September 30). Franklin’s Lost Expedition: A Chilling Arctic Tragedy – Malevus. Malevus. https://malevus.com/franklins-lost-expedition/
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