In the history of global exploration, names such as Leif Ericson, Marco Polo, and Henry Hudson are the first to pop into our minds. However, one relevant explorer that accomplished similar feats is all but unknown today. He is Matthew Henson, an African-American Arctic explorer that took great chances and made history.
Matthew Henson was born in Southern Maryland in 1866, the son of sharecroppers and part of the first generation of African Americans born free after the civil war. As a boy, his family faced attacks from the Ku Klux Klan, forcing them to move to Georgetown to escape the violence.
Though they had managed to avoid immediate threats from white supremacists, tragedy soon struck. Both of Henson’s parents died within the first decade of his life. He was sent to live with an uncle in Washington, D.C., where he attended school for several years, only to lose his adopted guardian as well. Despite these early hardships, Henson’s resilience and determination would lay the foundation for his remarkable future as an Arctic explorer.
At the age of ten, Henson attended a speech by Frederick Douglass honoring the late President Abraham Lincoln. Douglass reminded the audience that African Americans had gained freedom not through anyone’s kindness, but through struggle, perseverance, and practical politics.
Douglass’ words provoked significant motivation among the African-Americans in attendance. They were moved by the fact that they had won their freedom not through the kindness of any one person’s heart, but by years of struggle, perseverance, and the practice of pragmatic politics. The young Matthew was one of those inspired to reach new frontiers as a member of the first free generation of African-Americans.
By twelve, Henson had signed on as a cabin boy on the ship Katie Hines, traveling the world and learning about Asia, Africa, and Europe. The ship’s captain also taught him to read, giving Henson both a formal and maritime education. These experiences made him a skilled sailor and a capable young man ready for adventure.
At 21, Henson met Robert Peary, a Naval explorer, and joined him as an assistant on a South American expedition. Impressed by Henson’s skills, Peary brought him on further Arctic voyages.
In 1891 the two would make an attempt to reach the North Pole. While unsuccessful, this was merely the first of a series of expeditions the two would conduct over the next twenty years. These missions were highly dangerous, taking place in the most desolate part of the Earth. Temperatures were well below zero degrees, and returning in one piece was not guaranteed.
Throughout the expeditions, Henson demonstrated remarkable skill and resilience as an explorer. He faced every hardship with determination, from brutal cold to the loss of expedition members. Even in extreme situations, such as the deaths of several team members and the killing and eating of their dogs due to hunger, Henson remained steadfast, helping to lead the group further north.
The only people the explorers encountered in the Arctic were the Inuit, who possessed the knowledge and skills needed to survive in such a harsh environment. Understanding that the success of the mission depended on their expertise, Henson worked to build positive relationships with them. He learned their language, which helped with trade and allowed him to recruit guides for the expeditions.
Henson also mastered essential survival techniques, including building igloos, driving dog sleds, and keeping warm in extreme temperatures. He trained all new recruits on these skills and became the linchpin of the expeditions. His leadership, knowledge, and ability to navigate the Arctic made him an indispensable part of every journey.
In 1908, the aging Henson and Peary growing weary from the expeditions, they agreed that there would only be one final attempt to reach the North Pole. In a meticulously planned expedition, Hanson, Peary, a large support party, and a state of the art ship (the Roosevelt) set out in an attempt to reach the North Pole.
On April 6th, 1909, the years of hardship seemed to have finally paid off. With an ill Peary unable to continue on foot, Henson and several guides advanced to the final stage of their journey. From there Henson reached what he believed to be the North Pole, and planted the American flag. He had been the first person to make it that far North on planet Earth.
What should have been the crowning achievement of Henson’s career turned into a bittersweet moment. Although he and Peary claimed to have reached the North Pole, their accomplishment was met with skepticism from much of the scientific community and the general public. While their claim was later accepted by many, some experts continue to debate whether they truly reached the exact North Pole.
Despite being one of the first people to set foot so far north, Henson received almost no recognition for his role. As a Black man in early 20th-century America, he was largely overlooked, and the honors and acclaim that Peary received were denied to him. Institutional racism meant that his extraordinary skills in navigation, survival, and leadership were minimized or ignored by the white media and scientific community. Outside of the African-American community, Henson’s extraordinary contributions to Arctic exploration remained virtually unknown.
After retiring from exploration, Henson worked as a museum guide in New York City. In 1912, he published his autobiography, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, recounting his experiences and adventures in the Arctic.
Late in life, Henson finally received recognition for his achievements. He was awarded the Peary Polar Expedition Medal by Congress in 1944 and received several other honors acknowledging his role in Arctic exploration. Matthew Henson died in 1955 at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most pioneering African-American explorers in history.
Sources:
Matthew Henson – Biography, Explorer, Co-Discovery of North Pole
A Negro Explorer at the North Pole – Matthew Alexander Henson (Free Download)
Frederick Douglass – Speech at the Dedication of the Emancipation Memorial (1876)
