Parker Holmes
Beauchesne
English 6
March 2, 2018
Shackleton’s Great Adventures
Ernest Shackleton
In 1901 the world focused only on what was around them until one ordinary man stepped up to go explore uncharted lands away from everyone around him. He didn’t just explore, he discovered an icy new found world. He found the barren wastelands. He escaped a sinking ship while keeping his crew safe and rescued them all. He traveled great distances with limited resources. This wasn’t your ordinary type explorer - he was an adventurer. Ernest Shackleton was one of the first people to explore the continent of Antarctica
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He was born in Ireland in 1874 and was a day boy at a boarding school. His father who was a doctor wanted Ernest to become a doctor too since during that time children followed in their parents footsteps. Ernest had different plans. Although he was very intelligent and was an avid reader he did not want to become a doctor. He wanted to sail the seas. With the help of his father he was given a position at age of 16 with a crew on a sailing ship. He was determined to follow his dreams.
Ernest Shackleton’s success as a seaman came quickly. As a teenager he joined the Merchant Marines. His duties started off with him helping merchants sail their goods to customers and gained experience sailing to the Poles. Within several years he became a master mariner. In 1901 he was selected to sail on an expedition trip to Antarctica with Robert Scott. Together they traveled closer to the South Pole than anyone had ever gone. He ended up getting very sick and had to return home. Although he failed in getting to the Pole he left knowing that he would try
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Since Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole first Shackelton decided his new goal would to be the first person to walk across Antartica. In 1914 he set off on the ship ‘Endurance’ to cross Antartica by crossing the South Pole. Less than half a year later his ship with his crew got stuck in the ice for over five months. During this time Shackleton and his crew were helpless and were forced to sail wherever the ice drifted. At one point the ice ended up crushing the ship and Shackleton ordered his crew to abandon ship and to settle on a chunk of ice. Fearing that his crew would eventually die he took four of them and boarded a life boat and ended up sailing for 17 days until they reached Elephant Island which was known as a whaling station. After walking for 10 days they eventually reached a whaling station and found help. Months later Shackleton and rescuers returned to save the entire crew. He was