The Beginnings of Topo-hydrographic Activities of the United States Navy Department in Exploration of the Arctic prior to 1870 as reflected in the Official Records in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

During the second half of the nineteenth century the United States of America embarked on a broad programme of scientific geographical exploration of the Arctic (Dodge 1961; Friis 1967). In the present century this programme has continued in cooperation with other nations, developing into a wide var...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biology
Main Author: Friis, Herman R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1972
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0080455x00002095
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0080455X00002095
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Summary:During the second half of the nineteenth century the United States of America embarked on a broad programme of scientific geographical exploration of the Arctic (Dodge 1961; Friis 1967). In the present century this programme has continued in cooperation with other nations, developing into a wide variety of co-ordinated scientific activities of considerable benefit to mankind and represents remarkable advances in hydrographic and oceanographic research. The very large role of the United States Navy in the history of these accomplishments is reflected in the seemingly limitless resource of extant records of the scientific work of its innumerable expeditions. It is perhaps timely that we review in brief the humble beginning and the motivations that combined to generate an interest by the Federal Government and the people in the exploration of the Arctic by the Navy Department.