For seafarers, merchants, travellers, and monarchs, the idea of the Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia was pursued as the holy grail of maritime exploration. Some of Europe’s finest explorers dedicated their lives to its discovery - braving uncharted waters, and freezing temperatures.

But who were the men who gave up everything to find the passage? Why did its discovery remain so vital for so long? And who was the explorer to finally claim the discovery after centuries of futile searching?

This is a Short History Of….The Northwest Passage.

A Noiser Production, written by Sean Coleman. With thanks to Dr Russell Potter, Professor of English at Rhode Island College, and author of Arctic Spectacles: The Frozen North in Visual Culture. 

Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices