Diary of Robert E. Peary

Explorer Robert E. Peary was obsessed with becoming the first person to reach the North Pole. Peary claimed that he and his party reached the North Pole on April 6, 1909. Doubt was cast on this claim almost immediately. Some experts maintain that Peary may have missed the Pole by as much as 50 miles, while others disagree. Individuals seeking to verify Peary’s claim are drawn to his own records of the polar expeditions. During his earlier polar expeditions, Peary devised a relay system of crossing great distances over the ice: trailblazing parties would carry provisions, forge a trail, build igloos, then turn back at varying intervals, enabling the main party to travel faster and lighter. This diary entry reflects the obsession that drove Peary for more than 23 years. Selected pages of the document are available here. See the entire document in the National Archives online catalog.