A grant of $50,000 from the U.S. Congress funded the final voyage of Charles Francis Hall, an American explorer whose career began in the trades of blacksmithing and plate engraving. Before commanding the USS Polaris toward the North Pole, he spent years documenting Inuit testimony and relics to track the lost 1845 Franklin Expedition.
Early Career and Move to Cincinnati
Born in 1821, Hall spent his early years in Rochester or Vermont before apprenticing as a blacksmith. By 1849, he relocated to Cincinnati. He established a business crafting seals and engraving plates, eventually becoming a newspaper proprietor with the Cincinnati Occasional, which was later rebranded as the Daily Press.
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Take the IQ test →Investigating the Franklin Expedition
Beginning in 1857, Hall shifted his focus to the Arctic. During his first expedition from 1860 to 1862, he sailed on the whaler George Henry, reaching Baffin Island. Accompanied by Inuit guides Ipirvik and Taqulittuq, he inspected Frobisher Bay. Later, during a 1864 expedition, he recovered artifacts from the lost Franklin party on King William Island.
Conflict and the Polaris Expedition
In 1868, Hall shot a whaler named Patrick Coleman during a dispute in Repulse Bay, claiming it was in self-defense against mutiny. Despite this, he secured government funding for the 1871 Polaris expedition. The crew was fractured by internal politics and resentment toward Hall’s authority, involving key staff including Emil Bessels and Captain Sidney O. Budington.
Death and Subsequent Analysis
After returning to the Polaris from a sledging trip in 1871, Hall collapsed following a cup of coffee. He accused members of his crew of poisoning him before dying on November 8 at Thank God Harbor. Although initial investigations cited apoplexy, a 1968 exhumation led by Chauncey C. Loomis revealed high concentrations of arsenic in his remains, confirming poisoning.
Fast facts
- Born: 1821, Rochester
- Died: 8 November 1871, Thank God Harbor
- Primary Occupations: Arctic explorer, engraver, blacksmith
- Key Expedition Vessels: George Henry, Monticello, USS Polaris
- Major Finding: Franklin Expedition artifacts
- Cause of Death: Arsenic poisoning
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of Hall's early expeditions?
His primary goal was to determine the fate of the 1845 Franklin Expedition by interviewing Inuit populations and searching for physical relics.
How was Hall's cause of death confirmed?
In 1968, biographer Chauncey C. Loomis exhumed the body from the permafrost in Greenland and performed tests that showed fatal levels of arsenic.
Achievements
- Recorded as arctic explorer, engraver and newspaper proprietor
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