The American explorer Robert Peary (1856-1920) made a number of Arctic expeditions before setting out, in 1908, on a successful expedition to the North Pole. Accompanied by an assistant and four Eskimos, Peary reached the Pole in April of 1909 and claimed he was the first to have done so. Upon his return, however, he learned of Frederick Cook's prior claim, and a bitter controversy ensued. Congress officially recognized Peary's expedition in 1911, after much lobbying by the explorer and his supporters.
Newspaper accounts of Peary's expedition and the subsequent controversy helped fuel popular interest in the Arctic. Many sensational stories were published during this period that featured Eskimos, polar bears, and other exotic inhabitants of the Arctic. One such story, "The Frozen Frigate or, To the North Pole after a Million," appeared in Pluck and Luckin the January 13, 1915 issue.