Peary+vs.+Cook

The story was about the debate of whether Robert E. Peary or Frederick A. Cook reached the North Pole first. Peary was an explorer who really only cared about fame. Cook on the other hand found a passion for exploration only after the deat of his wife and baby at birth. Cook's evidence of his journey was left behind "supposedly" when Peary refused to bring anything belonging to Cook back to the states. Cook's evidence of his journey were never recovered. Both men gave big announcments of their discovery only to raise the question of who reached first? The public believed at the time that Cook reached first, but that later changed to Peary because of Cook's lack of evidence. Peary did everything in his power to undermine Cook's expolation, and he was sucessful due to his own evidence of his journey and his many resources/connections.All the media and witnesses brought forth were biased toward Peavy being the first to reach the North Pole. Also the University of Copenhagen, who was supposed to recieve Cook's records, said Cook's claims was "not proven" since they had not recieved the records. Many saw this as meaning that Cook's journey was "disproved." As a result Peavy was acknowledged as the first explorer to reach the North Pole while Cook went into exile for some time. Even though Peary was credited with the achievement by President Taft, many Senators and House of Representatives believed Peary's evidence was in doubt because of his journals lack in wear from the juorney, it looked new. Many explorers after Peary and Cook proved many of Cook's observations of the North Pole. As a result the question still remains, how could Cook get so much right, but not get to the North Pole? I think that Cook should be considered the first to reach the North Pole because his observations were proven in later expeditions. I think that Peary's competitive attitude and strong desire for fame led him to fabricate his own evidence. How could his journals not show any evidence of wear after a journey that takes months. If they were still friends instead of enemies maybe they could have claimed the honor together. However they should have checked the location where Peary put the American Flag, if it was indeed the North Pole or not. If so, that combined with Cook's observations should make both of them the first explorers to reach the North Pole. //Laurels-//honors won, as for achievement in a field or activity. //Indomitable//-that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable //Sextant//-an astronomical instrument used to determine latitude and longitude at sea by measuring angular distances, esp. the altitudes of sun, moon, and stars
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