New book tells of early antarctic explorations, continents. Family correspondence, chiefly relating to naval cruises of wilkes and his son, john wilkes. Charles wilkes forgotten american explorer who discovered. The expedition set sail in 1838 and in 1841 was on the northwest coast. Charles wilkes was an american naval officer, ships captain, and explorer famous for this exploring expedition to antarctica. With the more thrilling scenes and incidents while circumnavigating the globe under the command of the late admiral charles wilkes, 18381842. Mar 26, 2020 lieutenant charles wilkes, commander of the united states exploring expedition, 1838 to 1842 thomas sully, u. Correspondence, letterbooks, journals and diaries, autobiography, scientific tracts and notes detailing weather and tidal observations, legal and financial papers, genealogical charts, printed material, and other papers. Charles wilkes, the forgotten antarctic explorer science. Exploring antarcticas coast sabrina seafloor survey. There is an account book for the ship ocain, 1823, maintained while wilkes was on a trip to ports in the south atlantic on a sealing voyage.
Charles wilkes was born in new york city, united states and was raised by his aunt. Always the stormy petrel rarely sailing in calm seas, he weathered conviction by two courtsmartial while climbing the rank ladder from midshipman to rear admiral. An engraving of the uss vincennes in disappointment bay, antarctica. By 1860 the international scientific community knew that there was an american intellectual presence. Charles wilkes begins first american survey of puget sound.
The scientific achievements of the four year expedition were monumental. The expedition was of major importance to the growth of science in the united. Charles wilkes naval officer and explorer on this day. Mar 30, 2021 navy antarctic explorer charles wilkes, were the american books on the desks of sea captains, naturalists, biologists, and geologists throughout the world. Charles wilkes the story of an antarctic explorer charles wilkes was an american naval officer, ships captain, and explorer famous for this exploring expedition to antarctica. Charles wilkes was appointed leader of an extremely broadly envisioned exploratory expedition which was intended to compete with the scientific and geographical discoveries that had been made by europeans during the early nineteenth century. Charles wilkes went into the howling antarctic gales, totally inexperienced, in four veritable cockleshells, and yet he came out. He was known as a severe and demanding leader during the exploring expedition voyages and ther e are some historians who believe that the character captain ahab, in herman melvilles 1851 book moby dick, drew from wilkes reported harsh treatment of his crew and determined resolve to sight antarctic land i. His childhood story is in a childrens biography about the seven seas exploration expedition also known as the wilkes expedition. Wilkes expedition discovers antarctica mystic stamp. New book tells of early antarctic explorations, continents connection to climate. Exploring expedition of 1836, authorized by congress to chart the southern pacific beyond hawaii. Wilkes expedition discovers antarctica on january 19, 1840, us naval captain charles wilkes became the first american to explore the coast of antarctica. The journal of the french antarctic expedition, 19031905.
It was very successful as the first scientific investigation sponsored by the u. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, volume 2. Its been 180 years since charles wilkes voyaged to the antarctic. Notably, this expedition was the first to confirm the existence of antarctica as a. Navy lieutenant charles wilkes who completed a trip around the world surveying and collecting scientific data from 18381842. Naval academy museum in the 20th century, wilkes would finally get his due. The reports of the wilkes expedition, and the work of the. The wilkes expedition also visited san francisco bay and the sacramento river. He was accompanied by several scientists, including a geographer, a geologist. In total some 280 islands in the pacific and adjacent waters and 800 miles of streams and coasts in the oregon country were surveyed, and 1,600 miles of the the coast of antarctica. The first official american scientific expedition by sea, approved by congress in 1836.
Born on april 3, 1798, in new york city, new york, charles wilkes joined the us navy in 1818. Remembering the last great worldwide sailing expedition. Feb 18, 2003 this united states exploring expedition marks americas first formal entry into puget sound waters. The united states exploring expeditionalso known as the wilkes. This discovery was the highlight of a fouryear surveying expedition which greatly contributed to the scientific and cultural knowledge of the time. Charles wilkes was an american explorer who commanded the united states exploring expedition of 183842. Subjects include wilkess command of an expedition 18381842 to the antarctic, islands in the pacific, and the northwest coast of the u. The first official american expedition to antarctica was led by u. Simultaneous to the wilkes expedition were expeditions from two of the dominant players in antarctic exploration, great britain and france. Charles wilkes american explorer and naval officer. Charles wilkes, during an expedition circumnavigating the globe, became the first american to sight the antarctic coast, and to discover the existence of an antarctic continent. Exploring polar seas is best done by experienced people in strong vessels. Wilkes was an ambitious and autocratic officer who took command of the united states exploring expedition in 1838 with the aim of circumnavigating the globe and charting antarctica and the pacific coast of north america.
The volumes, 18231847, include account books of charles wilkes, a notebook owned by edmund wilkes, and notes related to fejee sic islands. The chief fields of exploration in this expedition were the coast of the antarctic continent, the islands of the pacific ocean, and the american northwest coast. From sydney, wilkes sailed into the region now known as wilkesland in antarctica. Autobiography of rear admiral charles wilkes wikisource. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition during. Mar 30, 2021 in the expedition file, there are notebooks and scientific data reports that document wilke s command of an antarctic expedition from 18381842. Charles wilkes has 38 books on goodreads with 46 ratings. But on that september day in 1842, just a few months after his return to the united states, lieutenant charles wilkes was anything but a hero. Exploring expedition and its leader charles wilkes. The first generally obtainable edition wilkes, charles. A book of first class stamps charles gand, senior marketstrategist at bbsp research said in a note. Charles wilkess flagship, uss vincennes, in disappointment bay in january 1840.
The first united states exploring expedition 1838 1842 hardcover january 1, 1968 by david b. This account is excerpted and freely arranged from the explorers report of the historic expedition, entitled the narrative of the united states exploring expedition, 18381842, by charles wilkes, usn. The voyage commenced in 1838 and was completed in 1842. May 10, 2016 it was a trip that lasted from 1838 to 1842, led by u. This story is adapted from the authors new book land of wond. Charles wilkes and the exploring expedition of 1838. Available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. Solving the mystery of early polar exploration through stamps. An account derived mostly radio messages published in the new york times of the byrd expedition, the first american expedition to explore antarctica since the u. Nov 22, 1975 a whitman revs william stanton book, the great us exploring expedition of 183842, chronicling expedition to antarctica led by charles wilkes m. Largepaper copy in original cloth of perhaps the earliest acquirable edition of the beginning of accurate western cartography, the narrative of wilkes landmark pacific expedition goetzmann, 57, with five large folding maps, nine additional maps, and 64 steelengraved plates. Charles wilkes and the exploring expedition of 1838 scihi. The wilkes exploring expedition began life as the u. Cartoon of the wilkes expedition and canal street plan by charles robinson, credited 1838.
This one went to air in late 1989, close to the sesquicentenray of wilkes arrival in sydney. Navy expedition to explore the pacific ocean in 1838. The united states exploring expedition was the first american scientific expedition of any size, charged to extend the. Byrd in 1928, this expedition was the first of its kind to use an airplane, an aerial camera, and snowmobiles. The wilkes expedition, included naturalists, botanists, a mineralogist, taxidermists, artists and a philologist, and it was carried out by the uss vincennes 780 tons and uss peacock 6 beyond that, it is a marvelous picture of human interactions, military rank discord, human coordination and management techniques and errors, and research. The united states exploring expedition also known as the wilkes expedition after its leader, charles wilkes was the first oceanic exploration funded by the united states government. A pair of recent books shed light on the lives of james cook and charles wilkes. It was on the second major voyage, from 1839 through until 1840, that wilkes and his fleet set off in search of antarctica from sydney. Charles wilkes s most popular book is narrative of the united states exploring expedition durin. Oct 27, 2014 lieutenant charles wilkes, as he was then, though he was a rearadmiral before he died, and rather lucky as well.
Charles wilkes was selected to command a flotilla of six ships and nearly five hundred military and civilian personnel, including nine scientists. It was very successful as the first scientific investigation sponsored by. After leaving hampton roads in 1838, the expedition visited madeira, the cape verde islands, brazil, patagonia, the south shetland islands, peter island, chile, and peru, before proceeding to the tuamotu or the low archipelago, the samoa islands, and new south wales. Wilkes crew surveyed and reported land along the antarctic. An early and ambitious american scientific expedition developed a nightmarish side. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition. He was given an honor for finding antarctica in london but america did not give him the honor.
Both helped unlock secrets of the world and its climate. Charles wilkes, explorer and commander of an epic expedition. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition has 1 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Subjects include wilkes s command of an expedition 18381842 to the antarctic, islands in the pacific, and the northwest coast of the u. History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in australia. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition first. Wilkes obsessive behavior and harsh code of shipboard discipline reportedly shaped herman melvilles characterization of ahab in moby dick. The goal of the expedition was to travel the entire pacific ocean and to explore south of the antarctic circle. Vincennes in disappointment bay, antarctica during the wilkes expedition. Nominally, the sixvessel undertaking was to chart islands and reefs in the pacific ocean, collect specimens, and lay claim to antarctica. Exploring charles wilkes expedition images of exploration.
Charles wilkes papers, 16071959 finding aid for the charles wilkes papers. The icebound antarctic was identified as a continental land mass. Charles wilkes was born in new york in 1798 and entered the u. Jan 19, 2012 lieutenant charles wilkes discovers antarctic coast. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition by. His greatest contribution to exploration was determining that antarctica was a continent, not a collection of several ice islands. It helped stimulate scientific growth, particularly oceanography.
After delays, commander charles wilkes led six ships into the area in 1838. Shackleton ice shelf, as well as wilkes land in presentday australian antarctic territory. In this book supplement are set down some of the experiences of the. Wilkes was in command of the ship, which was fitted out by its owner, mr. He was known as a severe and demanding leader during the exploring expedition voyages and there are some historians who believe that the character captain ahab, in herman melvilles 1851 book moby dick, drew from wilkes reported harsh treatment of his crew and determined resolve to sight antarctic land i. Wilkes was not the first choice of congress as he had little experience for an expedition. Its been 180 years since charles wilkes voyaged to the antarctic continent and his journey has never been more relevant. First american sighting of antarctica naval history blog. Books by charles wilkes author of narrative of the united. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition book by. An appendix starts at page 347 and runs till the end of the book. The remarkable naval career of charles wilkes began shortly after the war of 1812 and bridged the better part of the nineteenth century. I of charles wilkess narrative of the united states ex pl.
The commander was a brilliant but stern 40yearold navy lieutenant named charles wilkes, whose orders for the expedition were to extend the empire of commerce and science by mapping and. Congress authorized the expedition in may 1836, but inability to appoint a command and other obstacles delayed deployment for nearly two years. Exploring expedition, 18381842, to antarctica, the pacific islands, and the northwest coast of the u. The wilkes expedition and the discovery of antarctica. The united states exploring expedition of 1838 was a jumble of contradictions. Narrative of the united states exploring expedition during the years 1838, 1839, 1840. Charles wilkes american explorer and naval officer britannica. Two northwest explorers helped us understand the earths.
January 19, 1840 lieutenant charles wilkes discovers antarctic coast on january 19th, 1840, lt. Oct 26, 2004 battling icebergs and galeforce winds in his fragile wooden ships, he had charted a 1,500mile section of antarctic coast that still bears his name. Congress approved the expedition in 1836, and it would be the most extensive of all time. He attended presentday columbia university and joined the united states navy as a midshipman in 1818. Still, his vision, intelligence, determination, and superior navigation skills would be invaluable, and so he was given command. Crossing the pacific, wilkes called at the philippine islands, the sulu archipelago, borneo, singapore, and, rounding the cape of good hope, finally reached new york in 1842, having sailed round the world. Uss vincennes in disappointment bay, antarctica, during the wilkes expedition.
Aug 15, 2016 charles wilkes the story of an antarctic explorer charles wilkes was an american naval officer, ships captain, and explorer famous for this exploring expedition to antarctica. Navy antarctic explorer charles wilkes, were the american books on the desks of sea captains, naturalists, biologists, and geologists throughout the world. He surveyed puget sound and named dozens of landmarks, including elliott bay, in 1841. Exploring the antarctic 1840 the wilkes expedition. He was accompanied by several scientists, including a geographer, a geologist, and a naturalist. Charles wilkes begins first american survey of puget sound on. Wilkes is credited with proving the existence of antarctica as a land continent, a vital contribution to world geography.
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