The Dark Legacy of the Age of Exploration: Colonization, Slavery, and Disease
Diseases. Enslavement. Desertification. All of these were carried into the so-called New World by European domination of the world’s seas, beginning in the 15th century, quickly followed by the colonisation of the land. Fortunately, this dark side of history was accompanied by scientific and technical advances in navigation, shipbuilding, cartography,…
Wilfred Grenfell: The Doctor Who Defied Death on Ice
“I learnt many things from the ‘panel’, but mainly that when we look back on a life that we think is over forever, one of the things we will regret is that we missed out on life’s opportunities,” said Dr. Wilfred Thomas Grenfell wrote in 1909, not long after it…
Marco Polo and the Silk Road: A Journey Through Ancient Trade and Adventure
In 414 AD, the Chinese monk Faxian returned home from a long journey to the holy places of Buddhism in India. On his return, he recounted his religious experiences and, above all, his many adventures. The worst for him was the journey through the Taklamakan desert: “There was not a…
The Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark’s Historic Expedition West
"My dears! In the coming days, I am going on an exploratory expedition far to the west with Captain Lewis and his assistant Clark. We have received orders from President Jefferson to explore the interior of America, sail up the Missouri River and continue until we reach the far shores…
Robert Peary: The Last Arctic Adventure
Robert E. Peary looked at the calendar. It was 21 April 1906 and he knew he had failed again. His last navigational observations told him that he was standing at 87.6 degrees north latitude. Never in human history had anyone come so far north. The nearest piece of solid earth…
