The race to the white continent

In the 1830s, the forbidding Antarctic region represented the ultimate mystery.

The prospect of discovering a lucrative whaling ground made this as yet uncharted and unexploited region especially enticing.

Three expediti ons to the pole were launched simultaneously by the United States, France, and Britain, each nation vying to be the first to venture farther south than any vessel had ever sailed before. these expeditions paved the way for the explorers, traders, and whalers of what was to become known as the "Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration. "The Race to the White Continent" provides an account of their adventures.