MATTHEW HENSON
Matthew Henson
Born August 8, 1866
Maryland, USA
Died March 9, 1955 (aged 88)
USA
Occupation Explorer
Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 - March 9, 1955) was an American
explorer and long-time companion to Robert Peary; amongst various expeditions,
the most famous was a 1909 expedition which claimed to be the first to reach the
Geographic North Pole. A black American and an employee of Peary's (who was
notoriously difficult with his charges), Henson did not achieve
contemporary recognition in an America where racist views were still common.
Matthew Henson was born on a farm in Charles County, Maryland in 1866. He was
still a child when his parents Lemuel and Caroline died, and at the age of
twelve he went to sea as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. He sailed around the
world for the next several years, educating himself and becoming a skilled
navigator. Henson met Commander Robert R. Peary in 1888 and joined him on an
expedition to Nicaragua. Impressed with Henson's seamanship, Peary recruited him
as a colleague. For years they made many trips together, including Arctic
voyages in which Henson traded with the Eskimos and mastered their language,
built sleds, and trained dog teams. In 1909, Peary mounted his eighth attempt to
reach the North Pole, selecting Henson to be one of the team of six who would
make the final run to the Pole. Before the goal was reached, Peary could no
longer continue on foot and rode in a dog sled. Various accounts say he was ill,
exhausted, or had frozen toes. In any case, he sent Henson on ahead as a scout.
In a newspaper interview Henson said: I was in the lead that had overshot the
mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints
were the first at the spot. Henson then proceeded to plant the
American flag. Although Admiral Peary received many honors, Henson was largely
ignored and spent most of the next thirty years working as a clerk in a federal
customs house in New York. But in 1944 Congress awarded him a duplicate of the
silver medal given to Peary. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower
both honored him before he died in 1955.
In 1912 Henson wrote the book A Negro Explorer at the North Pole about his
arctic exploration. Later, in 1947 he collaborated with Bradley Robinson on his
biography Dark Companion. The 1912 book, along with an abortive lecture tour,
enraged Peary who had always considered Henson no more than a servant and saw
the attempts at publicity as a breach of faith.
In 1961 an honorary plaque was installed to mark his Maryland birthplace.
Matthew Henson
Born August 8, 1866
Maryland, USA
Died March 9, 1955 (aged 88)
USA
Occupation Explorer
Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 - March 9, 1955) was an American
explorer and long-time companion to Robert Peary; amongst various expeditions,
the most famous was a 1909 expedition which claimed to be the first to reach the
Geographic North Pole. A black American and an employee of Peary's (who was
notoriously difficult with his charges), Henson did not achieve
contemporary recognition in an America where racist views were still common.
Matthew Henson was born on a farm in Charles County, Maryland in 1866. He was
still a child when his parents Lemuel and Caroline died, and at the age of
twelve he went to sea as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. He sailed around the
world for the next several years, educating himself and becoming a skilled
navigator. Henson met Commander Robert R. Peary in 1888 and joined him on an
expedition to Nicaragua. Impressed with Henson's seamanship, Peary recruited him
as a colleague. For years they made many trips together, including Arctic
voyages in which Henson traded with the Eskimos and mastered their language,
built sleds, and trained dog teams. In 1909, Peary mounted his eighth attempt to
reach the North Pole, selecting Henson to be one of the team of six who would
make the final run to the Pole. Before the goal was reached, Peary could no
longer continue on foot and rode in a dog sled. Various accounts say he was ill,
exhausted, or had frozen toes. In any case, he sent Henson on ahead as a scout.
In a newspaper interview Henson said: I was in the lead that had overshot the
mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints
were the first at the spot. Henson then proceeded to plant the
American flag. Although Admiral Peary received many honors, Henson was largely
ignored and spent most of the next thirty years working as a clerk in a federal
customs house in New York. But in 1944 Congress awarded him a duplicate of the
silver medal given to Peary. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower
both honored him before he died in 1955.
In 1912 Henson wrote the book A Negro Explorer at the North Pole about his
arctic exploration. Later, in 1947 he collaborated with Bradley Robinson on his
biography Dark Companion. The 1912 book, along with an abortive lecture tour,
enraged Peary who had always considered Henson no more than a servant and saw
the attempts at publicity as a breach of faith.
In 1961 an honorary plaque was installed to mark his Maryland birthplace.