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Robert Falcon Scott | HearLore
Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott was born on the 6th of June 1868 in Stoke Damerel, near Devonport, into a family where naval service was not merely a profession but a destiny. The third of six children, he grew up in comfort as the son of John Edward Scott, a brewer and magistrate, yet the shadows of financial ruin would soon darken his early years. His grandfather and four uncles had all served in the army or navy, creating a lineage of duty that seemed to pull him inevitably toward the sea. At the age of 13, he entered the naval training ship Britannia, beginning a career that would eventually carry him to the ends of the earth. His physical build was unremarkable for a young man, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall with a chest measurement of 39¼ inches, but his intelligence and charm would soon catch the eye of a man who would change the course of his life. That man was Clements Markham, the Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, who observed Scott winning a boat race in the West Indies in 1887. Markham had a habit of collecting promising young officers for future polar work, and he saw in the 18-year-old midshipman a potential for greatness that would define the next two decades of British exploration.
The Discovery And The Shadow
The British National Antarctic Expedition, known as the Discovery Expedition, set sail on the 6th of August 1901, carrying a 50-strong party with almost no experience in polar waters. Scott, promoted to commander before departure, was given overall command despite the Royal Society's desire to place a scientist in charge. The expedition was a mix of naval personnel and merchant sailors, creating an uneasy dynamic that would plague the journey. Scott's decision to use dogs for transport proved controversial; he implemented the principle of slaughtering dogs to feed the remaining teams, a moral qualm he expressed in his writings but one he deemed necessary for survival. The expedition achieved a new southern record by reaching latitude 82°17′S, but the return journey was marred by tragedy. George Vince, a member of the party, died after slipping over a precipice during a blizzard on the 11th of March 1902. The expedition also suffered from scurvy, which damaged Scott's domestic reputation, and the ship itself became trapped in the ice, requiring explosives to free it. Scott's insistence on Royal Navy formalities caused friction with the merchant navy contingent, leading to the departure of many crew members and a lingering tension with his second-in-command, Albert Armitage. Despite these issues, the expedition discovered the Antarctic Plateau, a significant geographical find that would become the foundation for future polar journeys.
When was Robert Falcon Scott born and where did he grow up?
Robert Falcon Scott was born on the 6th of June 1868 in Stoke Damerel, near Devonport. He grew up in comfort as the son of John Edward Scott, a brewer and magistrate, though his family later faced financial ruin.
What happened during the Discovery Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott?
The Discovery Expedition set sail on the 6th of August 1901 and reached a new southern record of latitude 82°17′S. The return journey was marred by tragedy including the death of George Vince on the 11th of March 1902 and the ship becoming trapped in ice.
How did Robert Falcon Scott die during the Terra Nova expedition?
Robert Falcon Scott died in a blizzard on the 29th of March 1912 after reaching the South Pole on the 17th of January 1912. His body was discovered on the 12th of November 1912 along with his companions near One Ton Depot.
Why did Robert Falcon Scott lose the race to the South Pole to Roald Amundsen?
Robert Falcon Scott lost the race because his motor sledges proved unreliable and his ponies were of poor quality. He reached the South Pole on the 17th of January 1912 only to find Amundsen's tent and a letter dated the 18th of December confirming the Norwegians had beaten them by five weeks.
How has the reputation of Robert Falcon Scott changed over time?
Robert Falcon Scott's reputation declined in the 20th century with Roland Huntford's 1979 biography depicting him as a heroic bungler. Modern reassessment by meteorologist Susan Solomon and biographer David Crane has restored his humanity by attributing his death to adverse weather conditions.
By 1906, Scott's fame had made him a national hero, but his relationship with Ernest Shackleton was becoming increasingly strained. Shackleton, who had narrowly failed to reach the South Pole on his own expedition, announced plans to launch a bid for the pole from the same McMurdo Sound base that Scott had used. Scott claimed the area around McMurdo was his field of work, asserting prior rights that he believed Shackleton should respect. This dispute led to a series of letters and a public disagreement that soured the relationship between the two men. Shackleton eventually agreed to work to the east of the 170°W meridian to avoid Scott's territory, but circumstances forced him to land at Cape Royds, close to the old Discovery base. This breach of honor was condemned by the British polar establishment, though modern writers like Ranulph Fiennes argue that Shackleton was forced into the situation by circumstances beyond his control. The tension between Scott and Shackleton would later fuel a narrative of rivalry that overshadowed their shared achievements, with Scott's intransigence often compared unfavorably to the generosity of other explorers like Fridtjof Nansen.
The Race To The Pole
The Terra Nova expedition set sail on the 15th of June 1910, carrying with it a complex mix of transport methods including motors, dogs, and ponies. Scott's decision to use a combination of these methods was based on his belief that man-hauling alone was impossible, yet the motor sledges proved unreliable and the ponies were of poor quality. The expedition suffered early misfortunes, including the loss of a motor sledge to the sea ice and the death of six ponies, three of which drowned when the sea ice unexpectedly disintegrated. The arrival of the ship in Antarctica was delayed by pack ice, leaving little time for preparatory work. Scott's confidence grew during the winter, but the discovery of Amundsen's base in the Bay of Whales on the 22nd of February 1911 changed the dynamic of the race. Scott acknowledged that his ponies could not start early enough to compete with Amundsen's dog teams, yet he resolved to proceed with the journey. The final polar party of five men, including Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oates, and Evans, set off on the 1st of November 1911, but the journey was hampered by poor weather, a lack of fuel in the depots, and the physical decline of Edgar Evans, who died on the 17th of February 1912. The party reached the South Pole on the 17th of January 1912, only to find Amundsen's tent and a letter dated the 18th of December, confirming that the Norwegians had beaten them by five weeks.
The Last March And The Frozen Tomb
The return journey from the South Pole was a descent into hell, marked by deteriorating weather, hunger, and exhaustion. The party struggled northward across the Ross Ice Shelf, with the physical condition of Edgar Evans declining sharply after a fall on the 4th of February. Evans died near the foot of the Beardmore Glacier on the 17th of February, leaving the remaining four men to face the harsh conditions alone. The temperature dropped unexpectedly to below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on the 10th of March, and the party's progress slowed as they struggled with frostbite and a lack of supplies. Lawrence Oates, whose feet were severely frostbitten, voluntarily left the tent on the 17th of March, walking to his death with the words, I am just going outside and may be some time. The remaining three men made their final camp on the 19th of March, approximately 11 miles short of One Ton Depot. A fierce blizzard prevented any progress, and as their supplies ran out, Scott and his companions wrote their farewell letters. Scott gave up his diary after the 23rd of March, save for a final entry on the 29th of March, with the words, Last entry. For God's sake look after our people. The bodies of Scott and his companions were discovered on the 12th of November 1912, with Scott's final journal entry preserved as a testament to their struggle. The fossils of the Glossopteris tree, which they had dragged on hand sledges, were found next to their bodies, proving that Antarctica was once forested and connected to other continents.
The Hero And The Myth
The world was informed of the tragedy when the Terra Nova reached Oamaru, New Zealand, on the 10th of February 1913, and Scott immediately became a national icon. A nationalistic spirit was aroused, with the London Evening News calling for the story to be read to schoolchildren throughout the land. The Mansion House Scott Memorial Fund closed at over 40,000 pounds, providing financial support to the families of the dead. More than 30 monuments and memorials were set up in Britain alone, including the foundation of the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge. The expedition's survivors were honored with polar medals and promotions, and Scott's widow, Kathleen, was granted the rank and precedence of a widow of a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. However, the narrative of Scott's heroism began to shift in the 20th century. In 1966, Reginald Pound revealed personal failings in Scott's original sledging journal, casting a new light on his character. By the late 1970s, biographer Max Jones stated that Scott's complex personality had been revealed and his methods questioned. The publication of Roland Huntford's dual biography in 1979 depicted Scott as a heroic bungler, a thesis that became the contemporary orthodoxy. The decline in Scott's reputation was accompanied by a corresponding rise in that of his rival, Shackleton, who was ranked 11th in a 2002 nationwide poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, while Scott was placed 54th.
The Revision Of History
The 21st century has seen a shift of opinion in Scott's favor, as cultural historians and meteorologists have re-examined the circumstances of his death. Meteorologist Susan Solomon's 2001 account, The Coldest March, tied the fate of Scott's party to the extraordinarily adverse Barrier weather conditions of February and March 1912 rather than to personal or organizational failings. In 2005, David Crane published a new biography that concluded Scott is possibly the only figure in polar history except Lawrence Oates so wholly obscured by legend. The discovery of Scott's written orders of the 20th of October 1911, which instructed the dog teams to meet and assist him on the return trip, further challenged the narrative of bungling. Karen May's 2012 publication revealed that Scott had issued these vital instructions in writing, contrasting with Huntford's assertion that they were only given as a casual oral order. The modern reassessment of Scott's reputation has been influenced by a changing cultural understanding of heroism, with future generations mindful of the carnage of the First World War viewing the ideals of duty, self-sacrifice, and discipline in a different light. The New York Times Book Review noted that while David Crane's book offers no answers that convincingly exonerate Scott from a significant share of responsibility for his own demise, it does restore his humanity far more effectively than earlier interpretations.