Dawn Berry, Cornell University, joins us as part of the Graham Centre’s Arctic Speakers Series, under the auspices of the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program.

In contrast with other Arctic nations, the United States has long had an ambivalent relationship with the Polar Regions. The increasing awareness of the effects of climate change, continuing public debates over the viability of Arctic resource extraction, and growing concerns over American security interests in both the Arctic and Antarctic, however, have led to a resurgence of American interest in the Polar Regions. Although these are often presented in the media as new challenges, this paper argues that this is not the case. It demonstrates when and why the American government became interested in the Polar Regions in the early 20th Century and will discuss the ways in which President Franklin Roosevelt extended American political, economic, and military influence into both poles, as well as the lasting impacts of his actions on the governance of these geopolitically significant regions.

Date: Thursday, October 29, 4-6pm

Location: Natalie Zemon Davis Conference Room, Sidney Smith Hall, University of Toronto, Rm. 2098, 100 St. George Street.