Matthew Henson

Who Was Matthew Henson?

Matthew Henson, a distinguished African American explorer, served as the valet to renowned explorer Robert Edwin Peary during their numerous Arctic expeditions. For over two decades, Henson accompanied Peary on explorations, and on April 6, 1909, they, along with their team, claimed to be the first individuals to reach the North Pole. Henson passed away in New York City in 1955.

Early Life

Matthew Alexander Henson was born on August 8, 1866, in Charles County, Maryland, to two freeborn Black sharecroppers. After losing his mother at a young age, Henson’s father relocated the family to Washington, D.C., in search of better work opportunities. Unfortunately, after a few years, Henson’s father passed away, leaving him and his siblings in the care of relatives. At the age of 11, Henson left home to forge his own path. He briefly worked in a restaurant before walking to Baltimore, Maryland, where he secured a position as a cabin boy on the ship Katie Hines. Under the guidance of Captain Childs, Henson received an education in seamanship and traveled extensively, visiting regions in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Following Captain Childs’ death in 1884, Henson returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a clerk in a hat shop. It was there that he met Robert Edwin Peary in 1887. Impressed by Henson’s maritime experience, Peary hired him as a valet for an upcoming expedition to Nicaragua.

Career as an Explorer

After returning from Nicaragua, Henson found work in Philadelphia, where he married Eva Flint in April 1891. Shortly thereafter, he rejoined Peary for an expedition to Greenland. During this time, Henson immersed himself in the local Inuit culture, learning the language and essential Arctic survival skills.

Henson and Peary’s next expedition to Greenland took place in 1893, with the aim of charting the entire ice cap. The two-year journey was fraught with peril, nearly resulting in starvation as the team resorted to eating their sled dogs for survival. Despite these hardships, Henson and Peary returned to Greenland in 1896 and 1897 to collect large meteorites they had discovered, ultimately selling them to the American Museum of Natural History to help fund future expeditions. However, Henson’s frequent absences strained his marriage, leading to his divorce from Eva in 1897.

In the following years, Henson and Peary undertook several attempts to reach the North Pole. Their 1902 expedition was marked by tragedy, resulting in the deaths of six Inuit team members due to starvation. Nevertheless, their 1905 journey made significant progress; backed by President Theodore Roosevelt and equipped with an advanced ice-cutting vessel, they sailed within 175 miles of the North Pole before ice conditions forced them to turn back. During this time, Henson fathered a son named Anauakaq with an Inuit woman, and in 1906, he married Lucy Ross.

The final attempt to reach the North Pole began in 1908. Henson proved to be an indispensable member of the team, contributing by constructing sledges and training others in their use. Expedition member Donald Macmillan remarked on Henson’s expertise, stating, “With years of experience equal to that of Peary himself, he was indispensable.”

As the expedition progressed into 1909, other team members turned back, but Peary and Henson continued. Peary recognized Henson’s crucial role in the mission, asserting, “Henson must go all the way. I can’t make it there without him.” On April 6, 1909, Peary, Henson, four Inuit guides, and a team of 40 dogs—having started with 24 men, 19 sledges, and 133 dogs—successfully reached the North Pole, or so they claimed.

Life After the North Pole

Upon their return, Commander Robert Peary was celebrated widely for his historic achievement in reaching the North Pole. However, as an African American, Matthew Henson received little recognition, reflecting the societal biases of the era. Despite Peary’s accolades, both he and his expedition team encountered significant skepticism regarding their claims, leading Peary to testify before Congress to affirm the legitimacy of their expedition due to the absence of verifiable evidence. The full truth of Peary’s and Henson’s 1909 journey remains shrouded in ambiguity.

For the next thirty years, Henson served as a clerk at a federal customs house in New York, yet he never relinquished his identity as an explorer. In 1912, he published his Arctic memoirs, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, detailing his experiences. It was not until 1937, at the age of seventy, that Henson received long-overdue recognition when he was accepted as an honorary member of the esteemed Explorers Club in New York. His contributions were further acknowledged in 1944 when he and his fellow expedition members were awarded the Congressional Medal. Henson collaborated with Bradley Robinson to write his biography, Dark Companion, which was released in 1947.

Final Years and Death

Matthew Henson passed away in New York City on March 9, 1955, and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery. His wife, Lucy, was laid to rest beside him in 1968. In a gesture to honor Henson’s legacy, President Ronald Reagan approved the relocation of Henson and Lucy’s remains for reinterment at Arlington National Cemetery in 1987, following a request from Dr. S. Allen Counter of Harvard University. This national cemetery is also the final resting place of Robert Peary and his wife, Josephine.