Matthew Henson remains in the history of exploration of the planet and the city of New York as the first African-American to reach the North Pole. More details about the life and activities of this outstanding traveler is told by bronxski.com.
Young years
Our hero was born in 1866, on August 8. The city of Nanjemoy was his birthplace. His family owned land and could cultivate it. This was the period after the Civil War. New opportunities opened up for black Americans. However, some new difficulties arose. Among the latter were attacks by the Ku Klux Klan, who terrorized freedmen of the South. To be able to work and not be afraid of violence, his parents sold the farm and moved to Georgetown. Together with the boy, his sisters S. (born 1864), Eliza and M. (year of birth unknown) made this first trip.
In 1873, Henson’s mother died. The boy was only 7 years old. His father married again. The boy had more brothers and sisters. After the death of his father, Matthew’s life became even more difficult. He was sent to his uncle. The latter decided to give the boy an education and paid some money for it. Thus, he got the opportunity to attend a public school for 6 years. He also worked in a restaurant and washed dishes.
At the age of 10, he attended a ceremony honoring Lincoln. During this event, he was inspired by a speech made by a former slave, Frederick Douglass. The latter called on black people to study, seek opportunities for education and development and fight racial abuse.
At the age of 12, he had to go to work as a cabin boy on the ship. Having heard stories about the sea, travel, treasures and uncharted lands, he became inflamed with a desire to continue his work on the ship. He sailed to the ports of China, Japan, Africa and the Russian Arctic seas. He connected his life with this profession. He also learned seamanship, knew how to navigate by the stars and compass.
Then, his life took a sharp turn. He had to go ashore to start working as a clerk in a hat shop in Washington. Why was that? It is not known. However, it was his fate. There, he met Commander Robert E. Peary. For some time, he had even been his regular client. From that time on, a completely new direction in Matthew’s life began.
First trips
Peary was planning a new journey. He wanted to go to Nicaragua to explore geodetic landmarks during the construction of a canal in this country. He appreciated Henson’s knowledge of sailing and navigation. Therefore, he decided to take him to this trip. The young explorer received the position of valet. Henson’s participation impressed Robert. Then, he took the young man to accompany him on seven Arctic journeys that took place between 1891 and 1909.
In the first journey, which lasted between 1891 and 1892, he served as navigator and master. He was known to his colleagues as Peary’s ‘first man’. They studied how Inuit tribes survived in the harsh conditions of the north.
Expedition to the Pole
Their exploration of the North Pole continued. In 1908–1909, they made their eighth attempt to reach it. Inuit men, women, children, 246 dogs, 70 tons of whale meat from Labrador, the meat and blubber of walruses, as well as hunting equipment and tons of coal were taken. For the trek, Inuit men and 130 dogs were selected. The final stage was completed in February 1909. During the journey, 6 Americans and 4 Inuit assistants were able to reach the destination. Matthew claimed that he was the first and planted a flag there.
In the early 20th century, information about their actions received wide publicity. However, 80 years passed and the British polar explorer, writer and artist Wally Herbert (who also went to the pole) began to investigate their journey. He found that the records were unreliable. The speed of movement was impossible by those standards. People could not move at a speed of 30–60 miles per day (48-97 km). Therefore, most likely, they did not reach the destination.
Matthew learned the Inuit language and received the name Mahri-Pahluk. He became the only non-Inuit to learn how to drive a dog sled, train dogs the Inuit way and build an igloo out of snow. He traveled thousands of miles on dog sleds and, perhaps, reached the Pole.
Fame and consequences
These trips made him popular. Still, popularity and recognition by the scientific community are different things. In 1912, he published memoirs, which he called A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. He even gave lectures in the USA. On October 19, 1909, he was a guest at a dinner organized by the colored community of New York for him. He was presented with a gold watch and a chain to it.
After that, there was oblivion that affected only him. Peary remained famous. Most of the time after the trips, he worked as an official at the customs in New York. When he was 71 years old, he became the first African American who was considered worthy of being accepted as a life member of the Explorers Club. He became a full member in 1948.
In 1940, a housing project in Phoenix was named after him.
In 1944, he was awarded the Peary Medal and invited to the White House to celebrate his contributions to science.
Death and commemoration
Our hero died in the Bronx, on March 9, 1955. At that time, he was 88 years old.
His wife lived longer. They didn’t have children. At the same time, American researchers note that Henson and Peary had romance with the Inuit women and had children with them. These researchers even found Henson’s children and invited them to visit his grave during the 1988 reburial of his ashes at Arlington National Cemetery.
Howard and Morgan University awarded him honorary doctorates in 1955.
The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp featuring his image in 1986.
The oceanographic ship USNS Henson was launched 10 years later.
In 2000, he was posthumously awarded the Hubbard Medal. In 2021, a crater on the Moon was named after him.
A park in Maryland, a school in Pomona, a few elementary schools and the glacier are named after him.