The Franklin Expedition of 1845 is one of the most infamous expeditions in the history of exploration,

and in the end it resulted in the disappearance and later disturbing findings of the fate of the crew.

In fact, though, this was not his first expedition.

Franklin made several trips to the most northern and unexplored reaches of North America 20 years earlier, one

of which is equally infamous for different reasons.

And it is maybe even more gruesome because a first-hand account can make a story much

more horrific than one that's pieced together by archaeological findings.

This is Franklin's Copper Mine Expedition, and as always, viewer discretion is advised.

In the early 19th century, as Europe emerged from the shadow of the Napoleonic Wars,

the British Navy sought a new purpose for its massive

fleet. The wars had reshaped borders and empires, but peace left the Navy's formidable ships

and officers with little to do. It was in this transition period that Sir John Barrow, the

second secretary of the Admiralty, set his sights on one of the most coveted goals of exploration,

which was the discovery of the Northwest Passage. sights on one of the most coveted goals of exploration, which was the

discovery of the Northwest Passage. As has been covered on the channel several times before,

this elusive sea route was rumored to cross the icy waters of the Arctic and was hoped to connect

Europe with East Asia, opening a faster and more efficient path for trade. The idea of this passage

north had interested European powers for centuries,

and while unconfirmed at the time, there was some evidence to suggest that it might exist.

Whalers in the Bering Strait reported finding whales with harpoons and scars from opposite sides

of the globe, hinting in a connection between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. However, the maze

of islands and frozen waters beyond Canada's northern shores remain

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