In late 1913, an issue of the Times reportedly ran the following advertisement: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”1 Apparently, the named reward appealed strongly to men despite the intimidating description of danger, and applicants poured in. By 1914, a crew was chosen, and Ernest Shackleton began his aptly named “Incredible Voyage.” The objective: to cross the continent of Antarctica.
The expedition failed dramatically. However, over a century later, it is still seen as one of the greatest stories of human survival and determination ever. Why? Because of Shackleton’s exceptional leadership, optimism, and most of all, courage.
Without the underlying base of courage, Shackleton would never have attempted the Antarctic Expedition in the first place. Defining courage, Mark Twain wrote, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear.”4 This lends evidence to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of courage: “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”7 From these definitions comes a more complete definition: courage is noble endurance through trials despite fear and obstacles. It is fitting, then, that Shackleton named his ship Endurance.
Ernest Shackleton was born in February of 1874 in Ireland. When he was sixteen, he joined the British navy, preparing him for the exploration expeditions he would join and later lead. When he was 22, Shackleton dreamt that he was traveling through snow and ice.9 He later said, “I seemed to vow to myself that some day I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth, the end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns.”10 By the time he was 39, Shackleton had gone on two expeditions to Antarctica. Both times he came closer to the South Pole than anyone had ever been before.3
In 1914, Shackleton and a group of 27 men left to cross the Antarctic continent. Their ship was originally called Polaris, but Shackleton renamed it Endurance after his family motto: “By endurance we conquer.”2 They sailed into Antarctic waters, ready to face the challenges ahead.
In 1915, however, after battling through 700 miles of ice, the Endurance became caught. The crew chopped the ice, trying to get their ship to push through, but the effort was futile. The ice pushed the Endurance to the point of breakage. The men were ordered out of the ship into the frigid air as the ice split the wood of the ship, breaking it to pieces. “A new challenge rested upon his [Shackleton’s] shoulders: their mission now was to survive.”2
For six months, they lived in the frigid cold. Then the ice began to break. Shackleton ordered his men into the lifeboats and they sailed through treacherous waters in order to find land. When they eventually found “Elephant Island,” they felt unparallelled elation; it had been over a year since any of them had seen land.6
The joy was short-lived. Soon, a blizzard set in. The men overturned the lifeboats to use as shelters. They would live in these shelters for three months.5
Shackleton knew that if any of them were to live, they must be saved, and since nobody sailed nearby, they must save themselves. He and five of his men climbed into a tiny lifeboat, determined to complete the task at hand, and began the journey through the mighty ocean.5
Miraculously, they made it to South Georgia, but a daunting task faced them: they must climb the mountains over the entire island before they would find civilization. Shackleton made an executive decision and, leaving three of the men on the beach, he trekked over the island with two men at his side. After over 36 hours of exhausting work, they made it to a whaling station. Finally, they could return for the rest of the crew on Elephant Island.2
Every member of Shackleton’s crew returned alive.
If courage is defined as “noble endurance through trials despite fear and obstacles,” Ernest Shackleton is a perfect example of courage. Despite all his trials - freezing cold temperatures, grueling physical labor, mental exhaustion, etc. - Shackleton pushed through with noble countenance. He was a man of courage.
“For scientific discovery give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.” -- Sir Raymond Priestly8
Endnotes
1“Advert.” Antarctic Firsts, 13 Nov. 2016, www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm.
2Grill, William. Shackleton's Journey. Flying Eye Books, 2014.
3“History - Ernest Shackleton.” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/shackleton_ernest.shtml.
4“Mark Twain Quotations - Courage.” Mark Twain, James W. Paige and the Paige Typesetter, www.twainquotes.com/Courage.html.
5McCurdy, Michael. Trapped by the Ice!: Shackleton’s Amazing Antarctic Adventure. Walker and Co., 2002.
6McKay, Kate. “Leadership Lessons From Ernest Shackleton.” The Art of Manliness, 28 May 2018, www.artofmanliness.com/articles/leadership-lessons-from-ernest-shackleton/.
7“Courage.” Merriam-Webster.
8Priestly, Raymond. “For scientific discovery give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen; but when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.”
9Shackleton, Ernest. “I had a dream when I was 22 that someday I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth.”
10Shackleton, Ernest. “I seemed to vow to myself that some day I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth, the end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns.”
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