Sharecropper who learned to build igloos, speak Inuit told white explorer they were in right spot

In April 1909, American explorer Robert Peary went down in history as the person who ‘discovered’ the North Pole.

But an overlooked detail of that story is that Peary was accompanied by a black Maryland sharecropper, Mathew Henson, who says it was he who felt they had come to the right place.

Henson and Peary teamed up in 1891, and over the course of two decades, they embarked on seven arctic expeditions together in hopes of planting the American flag at the North Pole and taking credit for its discovery.

Henson’s dedication to the cause was such that during those years he learned how to build igloos, spoke Inuit, and, according to Peary, “could handle a sled better than any man except some of the best [Inuit] hunters’. He also learned how to use Inuit tools and modified their fur clothing.

Finally, on April 6, 1909, most historians agree they made it, but when the New York Times broke the news months later with a 1,000-word front-page story, Henson was not mentioned.

A group of six arrived at the North Pole as part of Peary’s expedition on April 6, 1909. Among them were four Inuit guides, Ooqueah, Ootah, Egingwah, and Seegloo. Shown in a colorized photo is Henson in the center and the guides on either side

At the turn of the 19th century, discovering the North Pole was a common ambition among explorers from around the world, many of whom had lost their lives claiming the prestigious award.

In the later debate over who should take credit for the achievement, multiple names often came up, including Peary and compatriot Dr. Frederick A. Cook, but until recently Henson’s was not one.

Henson was born in 1866 to a family of sharecroppers in Charles County, Maryland.

Both his parents died in his youth, so at the age of 12 he went to work as a cabin boy on a merchant ship, according to a biography by the Arlington National Cemetery.

In six years on the ship, he learned to read, write and navigate. Later, while working in a hat shop in Washington DC, he befriended Peary, an engineer in the United States Navy, who invited him on an expedition to Nicaragua.

Peary was impressed with Henson, and in 1891 the pair went on their first expedition to the North Pole together. On all of Peary’s subsequent travels, he was accompanied by Henson, who was later discovered to have distant Inuit relatives.

Over that time, Peary pioneered new ways of managing expeditions and developed what became known as the “Peary System,” according to an article in Smithsonian Magazine.

He would travel with large groups of as many as 50 men who, along with their equipment, would be pulled by 246 dogs. However, the sensational method led to failure during an attempt in 1906.

Matthew Henson is depicted in the furs worn on several polar expeditions. While in Greenland, he befriended several Inuit people and even learned the language, which proved to be an invaluable skill

When the New York Times ran the news of Peary’s successful journey on the front page in a 1,000-word story, Henson was left speechless.

On a final attempt in 1909, the party found itself within less than 200 miles of the North Pole, but resources were beginning to run out. Peary sent everyone back to the ship, but continued with a smaller team consisting of only Henson and four Inuits.

According to Henson, it was he who suspected they had arrived at the North Pole, and it was Peary who made the measurement that confirmed this. Henson then described the day’s events in an interview with the Boston American.

“We’re at the Pole now, aren’t we?” Henson said he asked Peary.

“I don’t think we can swear we’re right at the pole,” Peary replied, according to Henson.

Henson also wrote about his life’s work, cataloging his entire journey in one book published in 1912, titled ‘A Negro Explorer at the North Pole’.

In it he described how he had an idea of ​​where he was going: “Commander Peary took his sights from the moment our chronometer watches indicated, and I, knowing that we had proceeded practically in a straight line, was sure that we had traveled more than the necessary distance to ensure our arrival at the top of the earth.’

The Explorers Club is a non-profit organization based in New York with chapters around the world. Pictured is the headquarters on East 70th Street in Manhattan

Mathew Henson (pictured right at 87) reached the North Pole with Robert Peary helps President Eisenhower find the spot on the globe during a visit to the White House

JR Harris, who is also African American, serves on the board of directors of the Explorers Club, a non-profit organization based in New York. He told the BBC efforts by the organization to put Henson on the map.

“As a child growing up in school, I had never heard of Matthew Henson,” he told the BBC. “A lot of people assume that Matthew Henson was someone I used to look up to, and that’s just not true. We only heard that the North Pole was discovered by Robert Peary.’

‘The [Inuit] people really liked him,” said Harris. “Peary was a little detached and he appreciated that someone in his party could interact with the Inuit people and establish good relationships.”

Harris also discussed the importance of crediting the Inuit guides who were also present at the time of the successful 1909 expedition. The Explorers Club started a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee in 2022 and appointed JR Harris as chairman, the BBC reported.

It admitted four new members: Seegloo, Egingwah, Ooqueah, and Ootah, who joined Henson and Peary on their latest expedition.

“In my opinion, they’re all co-discoverers of the North Pole, all six of them,” Harris said. “Those four guys are finally getting the recognition they deserve.”

In Henson’s book he comments on the fact that at the time he was considered only an accessory and not an integral part of the historical expedition.

He described how he felt when he discovered the North Pole. “The feat of another world was done and completed, and as in the past, from the beginning of history, wherever the work of the world was done by a white man, he was accompanied by a colored man,” he wrote.

“From the building of the pyramids and the journey to the cross, to the discovery of the new world and the discovery of the North Pole, the Negro had been the faithful and constant companion of the white man.”