Matthew Henson Reaches the Far North with Peary

Matthew Henson spent over two decades navigating the Arctic alongside Robert Peary, playing an essential role in northern explorations that culminated in their disputed 1909 journey. Born in Maryland in 1866 to free Black sharecroppers, Henson lost both parents in childhood and at about twelve went to work as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. At sea, he gained seafaring skills and literacy under the instruction of a ship captain, visiting countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. In 1887, while working as a clerk in a Washington hat shop, he met Peary, who recruited him for a canal survey in Nicaragua.

Following their Central American enterprise, Peary hired Henson as an aide on Arctic ventures starting in 1891. Henson quickly distinguished himself as more than an assistant, serving as an artisan and navigator. Over several expeditions, he learned the Inuit language, built sleds, and learned indigenous survival techniques, including building snow shelters. Inuit companions admired his hunting and sled-driving skills.