One hundred years ago, the whaling ship "Antarctic" sailed to the wind-battered, volcanic coast of Antarctica. She sent her longboats on the treacherous journey across the Ross Sea to the rugged shore. On January 24, 1895, Captain Leonard Kristensen and the landing party of the "Antarctic" left the first trace of human kind on the frozen continent in their quest to slaughter whales in these, as yet, unclaimed waters.
The continent of Antarctica's baptism was bloody. The Industrial Revolution energized the desire to massacre millions of Antarctic animals such as whales and penguins. The oil from these animals was used as a lubricant for machinery and their fur was an added bonus. A harrowing process took place on Macquarie Island where hundreds of thousands of helpless penguins were herded into boiling cauldrons of oil in order to render the sought-after oil of these peaceful animals.
This Frozen Continent was used for years by humankind to make easy kills and a quick dollar. However, It has now been set aside as a preserve for both nature and science. There has even been discussion about a world park being established. Antarctica serves as a window for scientists to understanding the potential danger of several global threats such as our ozone depletion as well as greenhouse effect. Our perspectives on Antarctica have changed rapidly, when you consider our minimal, but violent, presence in the area. Small areas of the coastline, some trails to the South Pole and a few islands were explored up until 1958.
The history of man's presence in Antarctica has been an indistinct collection of stories that portray nationalism, idealism, and unabated slaughter with far too little scientific undertaking involved. The whaling industry experienced a boom during World War I because of the oil needed to make glycerin for artillery shells. Whale oil continued to be a commodity after World War II, as the Soviet Union and the United States began to require more of the substance for use as a jet engine lubricant. Prior to the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, Antarctica was identified as the "Terra Incognita," by medieval mapmakers.
As a matter of fact, the first person to be born in Antarctica is still too young to be considered an adult. It is important to understand that even this birth has a patriotic pretense. Emilio Marcus Palmer's birth was highly calculated as Argentina flew his mother to Argentina's Esperanza Base to give birth, with the sole goal of securing Argentina's right to much of Antarctica's territory.
This occurred nine years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon and placed America's flag on it as a symbol of America's dominance over other nations. In 1911, Roald Amundsen's trek to the South Pole, honoring King Haakon VII of Norway, was the most productive, determined venture of this sort. The British Empire gained honor through the works of Robert F Scott and his group who undertook a similar journey, with the addition of rock and fossil sample collection which they carried with them in their homemade sleds.
Because of poor diet, and the toll that was placed on their bodies by having to haul heavy loads for many miles, these men became the first to succumb to the harsh Antarctic environment, thus making them martyrs for Antarctic science. Their efforts to become the first to arrive at the South Pole were in vain, as these men where beaten to the punch. Amundsen and his group had successfully made it to the Pole a month earlier. America made its claim on the South Pole when Richard Byrd flew over it in 1929 in a Ford Trimotor. In 1821, the soviets utilized Russian Admiral Thaddeus Bellingshausen's voyage passed Antarctica in 1821 to justify their interests in the continent.
The continent of Antarctica's baptism was bloody. The Industrial Revolution energized the desire to massacre millions of Antarctic animals such as whales and penguins. The oil from these animals was used as a lubricant for machinery and their fur was an added bonus. A harrowing process took place on Macquarie Island where hundreds of thousands of helpless penguins were herded into boiling cauldrons of oil in order to render the sought-after oil of these peaceful animals.
This Frozen Continent was used for years by humankind to make easy kills and a quick dollar. However, It has now been set aside as a preserve for both nature and science. There has even been discussion about a world park being established. Antarctica serves as a window for scientists to understanding the potential danger of several global threats such as our ozone depletion as well as greenhouse effect. Our perspectives on Antarctica have changed rapidly, when you consider our minimal, but violent, presence in the area. Small areas of the coastline, some trails to the South Pole and a few islands were explored up until 1958.
The history of man's presence in Antarctica has been an indistinct collection of stories that portray nationalism, idealism, and unabated slaughter with far too little scientific undertaking involved. The whaling industry experienced a boom during World War I because of the oil needed to make glycerin for artillery shells. Whale oil continued to be a commodity after World War II, as the Soviet Union and the United States began to require more of the substance for use as a jet engine lubricant. Prior to the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, Antarctica was identified as the "Terra Incognita," by medieval mapmakers.
As a matter of fact, the first person to be born in Antarctica is still too young to be considered an adult. It is important to understand that even this birth has a patriotic pretense. Emilio Marcus Palmer's birth was highly calculated as Argentina flew his mother to Argentina's Esperanza Base to give birth, with the sole goal of securing Argentina's right to much of Antarctica's territory.
This occurred nine years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon and placed America's flag on it as a symbol of America's dominance over other nations. In 1911, Roald Amundsen's trek to the South Pole, honoring King Haakon VII of Norway, was the most productive, determined venture of this sort. The British Empire gained honor through the works of Robert F Scott and his group who undertook a similar journey, with the addition of rock and fossil sample collection which they carried with them in their homemade sleds.
Because of poor diet, and the toll that was placed on their bodies by having to haul heavy loads for many miles, these men became the first to succumb to the harsh Antarctic environment, thus making them martyrs for Antarctic science. Their efforts to become the first to arrive at the South Pole were in vain, as these men where beaten to the punch. Amundsen and his group had successfully made it to the Pole a month earlier. America made its claim on the South Pole when Richard Byrd flew over it in 1929 in a Ford Trimotor. In 1821, the soviets utilized Russian Admiral Thaddeus Bellingshausen's voyage passed Antarctica in 1821 to justify their interests in the continent.
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