Matthew Henson

Biography

Matthew Alexander Henson (1866–1955) was an African American explorer who was co-discoverer of the geographic North Pole alongside Robert Peary in 1909. Born on a farm in Charles County, Maryland, Henson was orphaned young and went to sea at age twelve as a cabin boy, traveling the world and gaining skills in navigation, carpentry, and survival. He met Robert Peary in 1887 and became his indispensable partner on seven Arctic expeditions over the next two decades. Henson learned the Inuit language, mastered dog-sled driving, built sledges, and developed the Arctic survival skills that made the Pole expedition possible. On April 6, 1909, Henson was the first member of Peary’s party to reach the North Pole—though Peary received the credit and fame. Henson’s critical contributions were largely ignored due to racial prejudice; he worked as a customs clerk in New York for decades while Peary received honors. His memoir, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole (1912), documents his Arctic experiences. Recognition came belatedly: in 1944 he received a joint Congressional Medal, and in 1988 he was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery beside Peary.