What was the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition?
The Imperial Transantarctic Expedition, also known as the Endurance Expedition, is an Antarctic expedition that occurred in 1914-1917. It is generally considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, which is the pre-WWI era of Antarctic exploration characterized by a lack of effective mechanized transport and radio contact with the outside. The expedition failed in its goal of crossing the Antarctic continent by land, but is still famous for the heroic story of survival associated with it. The Imperial Transantarctic Expedition was led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, who in 1908 had set a record of traveling the furthest south of any expedition. After the conquest of the Pole by Roald Amundsen in 1911, Shackleton considered crossing the Antarctic to be the last major milestone remaining, and set out in the sailing vessel Endurance for this purpose. A supporting group, the Ross Sea party, would have the responsibility of laying supply depots on the opposite en
