Matthew Henson

Matthew Henson was an African American explorer best known for his pivotal role in the Arctic expeditions led by Robert Peary. Over nearly two decades, he became Peary's most trusted companion, mastering survival skills and the Inuit language. His expertise was instrumental during the controversial 1909 expedition that claimed to have reached the North Pole.

Early life and career

Born in Nanjemoy, Maryland, he was orphaned as a child and went to sea as a cabin boy aboard the merchant ship Katie Hines. His seafaring travels took him to ports in China, Japan, Africa, and the Russian Empire. In 1887, while working as a store clerk in Washington, D.C., he met naval officer Robert Peary, who hired him as a personal valet for an upcoming surveying trip to Nicaragua. Impressed by his diligence and aptitude, Peary recruited him for his first Arctic voyage to Greenland in 1891 aboard the ship Kite.

Arctic expeditions with Robert Peary

Over the next two decades, he participated in all of Peary's major Arctic ventures, including expeditions in 1893, 1896, and the ambitious 1898 effort aboard the SS *Roosevelt*. He spent extensive time among the Inuit of North Greenland, learning their language, hunting techniques, and methods of driving dog sled teams. This cultural immersion made him an indispensable trailbreaker and negotiator. During the 1905 expedition, he and Peary set a new "Farthest North" record, traveling beyond 84°N latitude.

Role in the 1909 North Pole expedition

On the final push for the pole in April 1909, Peary selected him and four Inuit companions—Ootah, Seeglo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah—for the final support team. On April 6, Peary purportedly determined they had reached the North Pole. Due to his crucial role in navigating and maintaining the pace, many historians argue he may have been the first to arrive at the location. The achievement was immediately contested by rival explorer Frederick Cook, and later scrutiny questioned Peary's navigational data. He chronicled his account in his 1912 autobiography, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole.

Later life and recognition

After the expedition, he initially received little public acclaim compared to Peary. He worked for years as a clerk at the New York City Customs House, a position secured through political patronage. He was finally awarded a duplicate of the gold medal given to Peary's party by a 1944 act of the United States Congress. In 1954, he was received at the White House by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and made an honorary member of the The Explorers Club.

Legacy and honors

He is widely recognized as a trailblazer for African American explorers. Significant posthumous honors include his reinterment at Arlington National Cemetery in 1988 and the awarding of the Hubbard Medal by the National Geographic Society in 2000. The United States Navy launched the USNS Henson, an oceanographic survey ship, in his name. Numerous schools, such as Matthew Henson Elementary School in Baltimore, and public facilities bear his name. His life has been the subject of biographies, documentaries, and a 1988 commemorative postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service.

Category:American explorers Category:Arctic explorers Category:African-American history