Editing Robert Peary (section)

==Reaching the North Pole==
[[File:Photograph of the Robert Peary Sledge Party Posing with Flags at the North Pole - NARA - 542472.jpg|thumb|upright| alt=Photograph of the Robert Peary Sledge Party Posing with Flags at what was assumed to be the North Pole | The party at what was assumed to be the North Pole]]
On July 6, 1908, the ''Roosevelt'' departed New York City with Peary's eighth Arctic expedition of 22 men. Besides Peary as expedition commander, it included master of the ''Roosevelt'' [[Robert Bartlett (explorer)|Robert Bartlett]], surgeon Dr. J.W. Goodsell, along with [[Ross Gilmore Marvin]], [[Donald Baxter MacMillan]], [[George Borup]], and [[Matthew Henson]]. After recruiting several Inuit and their families at [[Cape York (Greenland)]], the expedition wintered near [[Cape Sheridan]] on [[Ellesmere Island]]. The expedition used the "Peary system" for the sledge journey, with Bartlett and the Inuit, Poodloonah, "Harrigan," and Ooqueah, composing the pioneer division. Borup, with three Inuit, Keshunghaw, Seegloo, and Karko, composed the advance supporting party. On February 15, Bartlett's pioneer division departed the ''Roosevelt'' for [[Cape Columbia]], followed by 5 advance divisions. Peary, with the two Inuit, Arco and Kudlooktoo, departed on February 22, bringing to the total effort 7 expedition members, 19 Inuit, 140 dogs, and 28 sledges. On February 28, Bartlett, with three Inuit, Ooqueah, Pooadloonah, and Harrigan, accompanied by Borup, with three Inuit, Karko, Seegloo, and Keshungwah, headed North.<ref name="rp">{{cite book |last=Peary | first=Robert | title=The North Pole: Its Discovery in 1906 Under the Auspices of the Peary Arctic Club | date=1986 | publisher=Dover Publications, Inc. | location=New York | isbn=0486251292 | pages=23,25,42,72,121,201–203,213–214,298}}</ref>{{rp|41}}

On March 14, the first supporting party, composed of Dr. Goodsell and the two Inuit, Arco and Wesharkoupsi, turned back towards the ship. Peary states this was at a latitude of 84°29'. On March 20, Borup's third supporting party, with three Inuit, started back to the ship. Peary states this was at a latitude of 85°23'. On March 26, Marvin, with Kudlooktoo and Harrigan, headed back to the ship, from a latitude estimated by Marvin as 86°38'. Marvin died on this return trip south. On 1 April, Bartlett's party started their return to the ship, after Bartlett estimated a latitude of 87°46'49". Peary, with two Inuit, Egingwah and Seeglo, and Henson, with two Inuit, Ootah and Ooqueah, using 5 sledges and 40 dogs, planned 5 marches over the estimated 130 [[nautical mile]]s to the pole. On 2 April, Peary led the way north.<ref name=rp/>{{rp|235,243,252–254,268–271,274}}<ref name=Negro>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfvfyQEACAAJ | last=Henson | first=Matthew | authorlink=Matthew Henson | title=A Negro Explorer at the North Pole | date=1912 | publisher=[[Dodo Press]]  | isbn=9781406553741 | pages=52,57,61,63,68–71,318–319}}</ref>

On the final stage of the journey toward the North Pole, Peary told Bartlett to stay behind. He continued with five others: Henson, Ootah, Egigingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah. No one except Henson, who had served on the [[Peary expedition to Greenland of 1891–1892]], had experience of naval-type observations. On April 6, 1909, Peary established Camp Jesup within {{convert|3|mi|abbr=on|0}} of the pole, according to his own readings.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Profile: African-American North Pole Explorer Matthew Henson | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/profile-african-american-north-pole-explorer-matthew-henson | first=ANNA | last=BRENDLE | publisher=[[National Geographic]] |date=January 10, 2003}}</ref> Peary estimated the latitude as 89°57', after making an observation at approximate local noon using the Columbia meridian. Peary used a sextant, with a mercury trough and glass roof for an artificial horizon, to make measurements of the Sun. Peary claims, "I had now taken in all thirteen single, or six and one-half double, altitudes of the sun, at two different stations, in three different directions, at four different times." Peary states some of these observations were "beyond the Pole," and "...at some moment during these marches and counter-marches, I had passed over or very near the point where north and south and east and west blend into one."<ref name=rp/>{{rp|287–298}}<ref name=Negro/>{{rp|72–75}} Henson scouted ahead to what was thought to be the North Pole site; he returned with the greeting, "I think I'm the first man to sit on top of the world," much to Peary's chagrin.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbp.gov/about/history/did-you-know/first-man | title=Did You Know... A Customs Employee was the 'First Man to Sit on Top of the World?' | publisher=[[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]}}</ref>

On April 7, 1909, Peary's group started their return journey, reaching Cape Columbia on April 23, and the ''Roosevelt'' on April 26. MacMillan and the doctor's party had reached the ship earlier, on March 21, Borup's party on April 11, Marvin's Inuit on April 17, and Bartlett's party on April 24. On July 18, the ''Roosevelt'' departed for home.<ref name=rp/>{{rp|302,316–317,325,332}}<ref name=Negro/>{{rp|78–81}}

Upon returning, Peary learned that Dr. [[Frederick A. Cook]], a surgeon and ethnographer on the [[Peary expedition to Greenland of 1891–1892]], claimed to have reached the North pole in 1908.<ref name=Discovered/> Despite remaining doubts, a committee of the National Geographic Society, as well as the Naval Affairs Subcommittee of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]], credited Peary with reaching the North Pole.<ref name=Discovered>{{cite magazine | last=Henderson | first=Bruce | title=Who Discovered the North Pole? | url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-discovered-the-north-pole-116633746/ | magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]] | date=April 2009}}</ref>

A reassessment of Peary's notebook in 1988 by polar explorer [[Wally Herbert]] found it "lacking in essential data", thus renewing doubts about Peary's discovery.<ref name=Doubts>{{cite news | last=Wilford | first=John N. | title=Doubts cast on Peary's claim to Pole | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1988/08/22/031988.html?zoom=14.63&pageNumber=27 | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=August 22, 1988}}</ref><ref name=First>{{cite news | last=Tierney | first=John | title=Who Was First at the North Pole?| url=https://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/who-was-first-at-the-north-pole | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=September 7, 2009}}</ref>