Aside from the Viking expeditions, of which we know comparatively little, Arctic exploration can be said to have begun with Martin Frobisher's voyage in the late 16th century. Many voyages were undertaken into the High Arctic during subsequent centuries. Some of them, like that of Frobisher, were in search of the fabled Northwest Passage to the Orient. It was not until late in the 19th century however that there was any systematic attempt to roll back the curtain of mystery that surrounded the region. Most of these later expeditions were sponsored by scientific establishments attached to European or North American nations, but like those that preceded them, they were often named after their leaders rather than for the nations which sponsored them. The most important of these were the British, Americans and, of course, the Canadians, while the most intensive period of investigation was between 1880-1914.
Only a few of the several voyages of that period are outlined on this map, but they are indicative of the torturous distances traveled as well as the duration of the explorers' stay in the Arctic. The cumulative effect of all these explorations was the heightening of interest in the territories and the awakening of a real concern on the part of the Canadian government for the problems of asserting sovereignty over the area. In the post World War I era the airplane would revolutionize the process of exploration but, prior to the introduction of that new technology, the only reasonable vehicle for exploration had been the extended voyages of ships and men. (Students interested in the detail concerning the explorations of the pre-1920 period should be advised to consult the excellent series of maps prepared by the Surveys and Mapping Branch of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in Ottawa).
