Who is The Franklin Expedition from Teaching a Stone to Talk and what is their importance?

Annie discusses this famous polar expedition in "An Expedition to the Pole". Sir John Franklin and over 130 men set out from England in 1845 to find a northwest passage from the Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition took three ships for what they expected to be a two or three year journey. Many of the items, such as glass wine goblets, sterling silverware, and china place settings that the expedition took along were unpractical for the environment and conditions they would face. The men also did not have any special clothing or gear for the Arctic weather.