The Franklin Mint History Of The United States, 1776-1973
Manufacturer
The Franklin Mint
DateNo Date
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 in. (45 mm.)
ClassificationsDecorative arts
Credit LineGift of Dr. Eugene F. Poutasse
Object number76.81.65
On View
Not on viewThe 1840 medal: Wilkes Expedition Reaches the Antartic
In 1838 Lt. Charles Wilkes was put in command of the first important naval exploration sponsored by the United States government. Its primary objective was the South Pacific. Departing from Norfolk, Virginia on August 18, 1838 with a squadron of five vessels and a store ship, the expedition traveled via the Azores south to Rio de Janeiro, Tierra del Fuego and around Cape Horn to Valparaiso. From Chile they sailed to Tahiti, surveyed the Samoan Islands and then traveled to New South Wales.
They reached Sydney the night of November 29, 1839 and departed in December to explore the Antarctic region. The Antarctic barrier was sighted on January 19, 1840 and about 66 degrees South, and during the next several weeks they sailed along it from about 150 degrees East to 106 degrees East. Pieces of rock and soil were observed in the icebergs. Returning to Sydney, Wilkes announced his discovery of an Antarctic continent on March 13, 1840.
Actually, it had been discovered before, and the area had been frequented many times by sealers and whalers of the United States and Great Britian. Wilkes, however, was the first to see a major segment of the Antarctic and the first to recognize that it was probably a continent.
After his return to Australia, the expedition went to Fiji and Hawaii to explore the northwest coast of America and California. From there they crossed the Pacific to Manila, Borneo and Singapore, returning to New York June 10, 1842 via the Cape of Good Hope.
They had covered about 90,000 miles in nearly four years and brought home a large number of natural history specimens. The data covering the voyage was published in 19 volumes. In 1911 Wilkes recieved belated recognition for his Antarctic discoveries by having a segment officially names Wilkes Land.
