In 1909, two men returned from Arctic journeys claiming to have reached the pole. The more famous of the two, publicly accused his rival of lying. The scandal that ensued was unprecedented in the history of exploring
The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The Paris Review, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler,n the surface, at least, the beef between Frederick Cook and Robert Peary was not political. Both men were turn-of-the century Arctic explorers, not presidential candidates, competing not for high office but for another coveted title: discoverer of the North Pole.
Though explorers back then were generally taken at their word, scientific authorities also required them to provide a travel diary with daily mileage rates, astronomical observations, and other important records from their journey. Explorers were also expected to bring at least one eyewitness trained in the use of sextant and other scientific instruments, and to present this navigational equipment for examination afterward.
Peary, a U.S. Navy engineer based in Washington, was popular among the East Coast establishment. He was cozy with the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History, twin bastions of plutocrat-funded Gilded Age philanthropy, and bankrolled by The Peary Arctic Club, a coterie of mostly Republican New York City millionaires. Peary was as demanding and iron-willed as the rich businessmen who supported him. President Theodore Roosevelt spoke glowingly of his “hardy virtue.
Peary’s travel records and instruments were finally examined by the National Geographic Society in early November, nearly two months into the controversy. Its experts declared Peary’s claim valid, and pressure on Cook to present his own proofs intensified. Cook had embarked on a lucrative lecture tour by this point, fueling suspicions that America’s most popular explorer was a con man.
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