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Ernest Shackleton Research Paper

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Sir Ernest Shackleton “Sir Ernest Shackleton was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer, who made three expeditions to the continent, most famously in 1914 on the Endurance” (Sir Ernest Shackleton). The ‘founder’ of the Shackleton family was Abraham Shackleton. Abraham was a profound Quaker born in Kildare County, Ireland. The Shackleton family originated in the English country of the Yorkshire and consisted of pure Anglo-Irish blood.
On February 15, 1874 Ernest Henry Shackleton was born in Kilkea House, Kildare County, Ireland. He was the second oldest of ten children and the oldest of two boys. When Shackleton was six years old, the family moved to London, where the children were raised.
It was obvious at a very young age that Shackleton was …show more content…

Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in event of success.”(Heacox 43).
Nevertheless, Shackleton led this expedition wanting to lead the first successful journey to reach the South Pole. The crew of the Nimrod didn’t reach the South Pole, yet they became the first to reach the top of Mount Erebus. The men were the first team to reach the Magnetic South Pole, and the plateau above the Trans-Antarctic Mountains.
In 1908 four of the men- Shackleton, Marshall, Wild and Adams- reached the top of Mount Erebus, the highest known point of Antarctica at that time. It was over ten thousand feet higher than the starting point, but the men were soon beaten by bad weather and low supplies and food. The Boss made the decision that the men needed to get back to the ship.
The crew of the Nimrod, once again reunited, left for England in 1909. It took a total of 73 days for the crew to reach home. The trip lasted much longer than the 110 days originally planned for. Shackleton was knighted for his bravery when he returned back to England. He was already planning another expedition, determined that he would reach the South Pole once and for …show more content…

Four months into the journey, Shackleton died from a heart attack. Sir Ernest Shackleton was a brave man known for his determination and his love for the Antarctic. His passion for the Polar Regions could be separated by only one thing- death. Ernest Shackleton died doing what he loved to do best, during his last trip through the ice filled waters (Alexander 98). The expedition was called the Shackleton-Rowlett Expedition and took place from 1921-1922, ending shortly after Shackleton died (Alexander 114). At the shy age of 47, Shackleton died of a heart attack. He took his last breath at 2:30 in the morning of January 5, 1922. Only minutes before he died, he looked up at his friend and said, “You’re always wanting me to give up something. What do you want me to give up now?” (Alexander 184). However, he gave up his life only short minutes after that.
The doctors were puzzled that Shackleton died at such a young age. They performed various autopsies and came to the conclusion that he suffered from an atrial septal defect, commonly known as a hole in the heart (Alexander 241). Shackleton had refused to seek medical attention, fearing it would hinder his

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