Black History Hero: Henson at the North Pole

Matthew Alexander Henson, a black American, was a member of the first expedition to reach

the North Pole on April 6, 1909, now over a hundred years ago.

Henson was forty-three years old at the time, and he accompanied fellow explorer Robert Peary and four Eskimos. Peary and Henson had failed to reach the pole on seven previous attempts because of severe ice and below zero temperatures. On the final leg of the successful journey, Peary sent Henson ahead on the lead sledge because he felt Henson could handle a sledge better than any living man except some of the best Eskimo hunters.

Matthew Henson was born in the more temperate area of Maryland in 1866. As a very young man he traveled the oceans of the world on a merchant ship. He visited China. He sailed around the tip of South America. During these years he met Robert Peary who was planning a surveying expedition in Nicaragua.

Matthew Henson, talented in many ways

Matthew Henson had many wonderful qualities, including his seafaring skills, that Peary found invaluable. The men traveled together for the next 23 years. Henson was known for his courage and strength. In the Arctic, he was popular with the Eskimos because he learned their language fluently. He built all the sledges which were the means of transportation on the famous expedition. He was considered by all to be one of the best sledge drivers in the far north. He could also build igloos and stoves!

Poster from U.S. Office of War Information. News Bureau,1943

Matthew Henson received many honors in his lifetime. The U. S. Navy awarded him a Silver Medal. Although he had little formal education, he was awarded honorary degrees from Howard University and Morgan College for his experiences.

After his death in 1955, Henson was honored by a plaque at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, the first such award for a black man in the South. In 1988, the United States bestowed a great honor on this American by burying his remains in Arlington National Cemetery.