HMS Resolute

HMS Resolute was a barque-rigged discovery vessel of the Royal Navy, originally built for Arctic exploration. She is most famous for her involvement in the search for Sir John Franklin's lost expedition and her subsequent remarkable recovery by an American whaler after being abandoned in the Arctic Ocean. The ship's timbers were later used to create the Resolute desk, a gift to the President of the United States that remains a notable artifact in the White House.

History

HMS Resolute was ordered in 1849 and constructed at Blackwall Yard on the River Thames as part of the British government's intensified efforts to locate the missing Franklin's lost expedition. Launched in 1850, she was a sturdy vessel designed to withstand the pressures of pack ice. Under the command of Captain Henry Kellett, she served as part of Sir Edward Belcher's Arctic squadron from 1852 to 1854. During this service, Resolute was deployed from her base at Dealy Island near Melville Island to conduct search operations across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, including areas like Wellington Channel and the shores of Bathurst Island. Following orders from Belcher in the face of severe ice conditions, Resolute was abandoned along with three other ships, including HMS Intrepid, in Melville Sound in May 1854. The crews made a perilous retreat to Beechey Island and were eventually rescued by supply ships.

Discovery and recovery

In September 1855, the abandoned Resolute was found adrift and intact in an ice floe in Baffin Bay by the American whaling captain James Buddington of the New London vessel George Henry. The ship had drifted approximately 1,200 miles from where she was abandoned, carried by the Beaufort Gyre and other Arctic currents. Buddington and his crew managed to free the vessel from the ice after considerable effort. Recognizing the potential salvage value and diplomatic significance, Buddington sailed the Resolute to New London, Connecticut, arriving in December 1855. The event caused a sensation in the United States, with the ship becoming a symbol of Arctic perseverance. The United States Congress, following a proposal by Representative Henry Winter Davis, subsequently voted to purchase the vessel from her salvors for $40,000.

Refitting and return to Britain

After its purchase by the U.S. government, Resolute was thoroughly refitted at the Brooklyn Navy Yard at a cost of over $40,000. The restoration aimed to return the ship to full seaworthy condition as a gesture of goodwill from the American people to the British people. In December 1856, under the command of Captain Henry J. Hartstene of the United States Navy, the refurbished Resolute was sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to England. She was formally presented to Queen Victoria in a ceremony at Portsmouth on 17 December 1856, an event that received widespread press coverage in publications like The Illustrated London News. The gesture was warmly received in Britain, significantly easing tensions remaining from periods such as the Oregon boundary dispute and becoming a celebrated chapter in Anglo-American relations.

Legacy and artifacts

Following her return, Resolute saw no further active naval service and was eventually broken up at Chatham Dockyard in 1880. Her legacy was secured when Queen Victoria commissioned a desk to be built from her timbers. This piece, known as the Resolute desk, was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 and has been used by many subsequent presidents in the White House, notably in the Oval Office. Other artifacts from the ship include a small writing table presented to Henry Grinnell, the American merchant who funded Arctic searches, and a barometer given to Lady Jane Franklin. The ship's bell is preserved at the Royal Museums Greenwich. The story of Resolute has been recounted in numerous historical works and inspired episodes in popular culture, symbolizing international cooperation and the enduring spirit of polar exploration during the Victorian era.

Category:Royal Navy ships Category:Arctic exploration vessels Category:19th-century ships