The Vanished Fleet: Into the White

In the early 19th century, the British Empire was at the height of its maritime power. Completing the Northwest Passage—a navigable sea route linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Canadian Arctic—was considered the ultimate prize of geographic exploration. Championed by the British Admiralty, decades of prior expeditions had slowly mapped the icy labyrinth of the North. By 1845, only a small, uncharted section of the passage remained.

The Franklin Expedition was conceived as the triumphant final chapter of this centuries-old quest. It represented the absolute pinnacle of Victorian technological optimism. The expedition's two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, were heavily fortified with iron bow sheathing to cut through the ice and equipped with steam locomotive engines—a revolutionary addition that allowed them to navigate without wind. Stocked with over three years of provisions, including thousands of pounds of newly invented tinned foods, the mission was widely considered invincible.

Yet, the unforgiving reality of the Arctic shattered this hubris. The ships became hopelessly beset in the crushing pack ice of the Victoria Strait, transforming a glorious voyage of discovery into a grim fight for survival. For nearly 170 years, the exact fate of the expedition remained one of the world's greatest maritime mysteries. Today, thanks to the convergence of modern forensic science and traditional Inuit oral history (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit), the silence of the vanished fleet is finally being broken.

Journey Through the Project:

This digital history project navigates the multifaceted narrative of the 1845 Franklin Expedition by exploring the disaster through three distinct lenses.

First, we examine The Mission, detailing the historical context, the expedition's purpose, the expodition inself with a detailed timeline.

Next, we look at the crew, the people who were on the expedition. We examine their backgrounds, their roles, and their stories.

Finally, we explore the Inuit Knowledge & Rediscovery, a testament to the intersection of modern archaeology and Indigenous knowledge.