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It was also realized that a northern route to the Far East would be shorter in terms of distance (about 8,000 miles) and time.  John Cabot was sent by King Henry VII in the first search for a northwestern passage, reaching [[Newfoundland]] in 1496, and making an attempt for [[Japan]] in a second, ill-fated expedition in 1498.  Exploration for the route would be in small steps; the Frenchman [[Jacques Cartier]] would chart the eastern Canadian coast and [[St. Lawrence River]]; Sir [[Martin Frobisher]] explored the northern areas around Baffin Bay and attempted a colony at Frobisher Bay; and Henry Hudson would search for the passage in 1610, entering the vast bay which bears his name before being cast adrift by a mutinous crew in 1611.

It was also realized that a northern route to the Far East would be shorter in terms of distance (about 8,000 miles) and time.  John Cabot was sent by King Henry VII in the first search for a northwestern passage, reaching [[Newfoundland]] in 1496, and making an attempt for [[Japan]] in a second, ill-fated expedition in 1498.  Exploration for the route would be in small steps; the Frenchman [[Jacques Cartier]] would chart the eastern Canadian coast and [[St. Lawrence River]]; Sir [[Martin Frobisher]] explored the northern areas around Baffin Bay and attempted a colony at Frobisher Bay; and Henry Hudson would search for the passage in 1610, entering the vast bay which bears his name before being cast adrift by a mutinous crew in 1611.

Two centuries of trial and error at sea by explorers John Davis (1585), William Baffin (1615, 1616), Sir John Ross (1829-33), Sir William Parry (1819), Frederick William Beechey (1825-28), and Sir George Back (1836-37) did much to add to the knowledge of the Canadian Arctic; this was supplemented by overland explorers Henry Kelsey (1688-91), Samuel Hearne (1770-72), and Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1789) as they explored much of Canada west of Hudson Bay to the Arctic.

Two centuries of trial and error at sea by explorers John Davis (1585), William Baffin (1615, 1616), Sir John Ross (1829–33), Sir William Parry (1819), Frederick William Beechey (1825–28), and Sir George Back (1836–37) did much to add to the knowledge of the Canadian Arctic; this was supplemented by overland explorers Henry Kelsey (1688–91), Samuel Hearne (1770-72), and Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1789) as they explored much of Canada west of Hudson Bay to the Arctic.

In the west [[James Cook]]'s last - and fatal - expedition (1776-1780), followed by [[George Vancouver]]'s meticulous coastal search during the summers of 1792 to 1794 failed to find a Pacific outlet for a passage.

In the west [[James Cook]]'s last - and fatal - expedition (1776-1780), followed by [[George Vancouver]]'s meticulous coastal search during the summers of 1792 to 1794 failed to find a Pacific outlet for a passage.

The most tragic loss of life occurred during the Franklin expedition which began in 1845.  The British ships HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS ''Terror'', under the command of Captain Sir [[John Franklin]], made an attempt to complete the navigation of the passage; documents and evidence found later revealed both ships were trapped by ice within Victoria Strait west of King William Island and were subsequently abandoned, leaving 129 men to die of a combination of disease, starvation, and exposure by the time the first organized searches had begun for them in 1848<ref>http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic50-1-36.pdf</ref>. Franklin's ships would not be seen again until ''Erebus'' was discovered in 2014<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/03/hms-erebus-lost-ship-whose-crew-resorted-to-cannibalism-found-in-canadian-arctic/</ref>, and ''Terror'' in 2016<ref>http://www.livescience.com/56110-doomed-shipwreck-hms-terror-possibly-found.html</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/12/hms-terror-wreck-found-arctic-nearly-170-years-northwest-passage-attempt</ref>.

The most tragic loss of life occurred during the Franklin expedition which began in 1845.  The British ships HMS ''Erebus'' and HMS ''Terror'', under the command of Captain Sir [[John Franklin]], made an attempt to complete the navigation of the passage; documents and evidence found later revealed both ships were trapped by ice within Victoria Strait west of King William Island and were subsequently abandoned, leaving 129 men to die of a combination of disease, starvation, and exposure by the time the first organized searches had begun for them in 1848.<ref>http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic50-1-36.pdf</ref>  Franklin's ships would not be seen again until ''Erebus'' was discovered in 2014,<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/03/hms-erebus-lost-ship-whose-crew-resorted-to-cannibalism-found-in-canadian-arctic/</ref> and ''Terror'' in 2016.<ref>http://www.livescience.com/56110-doomed-shipwreck-hms-terror-possibly-found.html</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/12/hms-terror-wreck-found-arctic-nearly-170-years-northwest-passage-attempt</ref>

In the 12 years from 1848 a total of 36 search expeditions were mounted - mostly by the Royal Navy - these included a number of support efforts: supply, relief and dual purpose expeditions. They did not find Franklin but they filled in gaps that shed much light on the geography (and dangers) of the Arctic north. One of these expeditions, one sponsored by Lady Jane Franklin, was a rarity in the nineteenth century, an Anglo-French humanitarian effort, that combined ship borne efforts with a journey by sledge south and west through the Bellet Strait that while not appreciated at the time became a part of the Passage in later years after its initial negotiation by the RCMP schooner ''St Roch'' in 1942.

In the 12 years from 1848 a total of 36 search expeditions were mounted - mostly by the Royal Navy - these included a number of support efforts: supply, relief and dual purpose expeditions. They did not find Franklin but they filled in gaps that shed much light on the geography (and dangers) of the Arctic north. One of these expeditions, one sponsored by Lady Jane Franklin, was a rarity in the nineteenth century, an Anglo-French humanitarian effort, that combined ship borne efforts with a journey by sledge south and west through the Bellet Strait that while not appreciated at the time became a part of the Passage in later years after its initial negotiation by the RCMP schooner ''St Roch'' in 1942.

In 1969 a super-tanker, the ''Manhattan'', all 115,000 tons of her, was turned into an ice-breaker, (adding 35,000 tons) to test the feasibility of carrying oil from the Alaskan North Slope to southern markets via the Passage thereby saving the cost of a pipeline. She had trouble getting to the oil and had to be rescued on the way back out. Today, there is a pipeline.

In 1969 a super-tanker, the ''Manhattan'', all 115,000 tons of her, was turned into an ice-breaker, (adding 35,000 tons) to test the feasibility of carrying oil from the Alaskan North Slope to southern markets via the Passage thereby saving the cost of a pipeline. She had trouble getting to the oil and had to be rescued on the way back out. Today, there is a pipeline.

the first yacht, the 43ft ketch ''Wiiliwaw'', made the transit from east to west in 1977.

the first yacht, the 43&nbsp;ft ketch ''Wiiliwaw'', made the transit from east to west in 1977.

A passenger vessel, MV ''Imblad Explorer'', successfully made the passage in 1984. Today, modified cruise ships do it every year; often in both directions in a single season.

A passenger vessel, MV ''Imblad Explorer'', successfully made the passage in 1984. Today, modified cruise ships do it every year; often in both directions in a single season.

==Today==

==Today==

The Northwest Passage is claimed by Canada as an integral part of its territory; the United States claims the waterways surrounding the islands are international, and therefore can be transited by anyone.  Changes to climate have resulted in less ice during the summers recently, allowing for increased shipping traffic of various sorts; however, icebreakers are always present, and many commercial ships have been outfitted with ice-breaking bows.  Transits of the passage have begun in the 1980s, with about 4 per year during that time to 20-30 per year from 2009-2013<ref>4 per year in the 1980s to 20-30 per year in 2009-2013</ref>.

The Northwest Passage is claimed by Canada as an integral part of its territory; the United States claims the waterways surrounding the islands are international, and therefore can be transited by anyone.  Changes to climate have resulted in less ice during the summers recently, allowing for increased shipping traffic of various sorts; however, icebreakers are always present, and many commercial ships have been outfitted with ice-breaking bows.  Transits of the passage have begun in the 1980s, with about 4 per year during that time to 20-30 per year from 2009-2013.<ref>4 per year in the 1980s to 20-30 per year in 2009-2013</ref>

==References==

==References==

<small><references/></small>

<small><references/></small>

Historical source:"Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History". Volume 3. pp111-115

Historical source:"Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History". Volume 3. pp111–115

[[Category:Geography]]

[[Category:Geography]]

[[Category:Canada]]

[[Category:Canada]]

[[Category:American History]]

[[Category:American History]]