A Negro Explorer at the North Pole: The Autobiography of Matthew Henson

by Matthew A. Henson

When Commander Robert Peary reached the North Pole on April 6, 1909, one other American was with him-Matthew Henson, a black man from Maryland who had been Peary's faithful companion through 22 years of polar exploration. This is Henson's story in his own words, from his early years as a sailor to his meeting Robert Peary and their multiple expeditions to the North Pole. Filled with hair-breadth escapes from disaster and haunting evocations of life in the Arctic, this classic of exploration literature reveals Henson as the true hero of the journey, one who had been forced to accept a lower status because of his race. It was Henson who learned to speak the native tongue of the Eskimos, Henson who handled the dogs and broke the trail, and Henson who arrived first at the North Pole after being purposely left behind by Peary. New to this edition are rare articles and photos of the expedition that Henson published to set the record straight.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Biography, African American, Memoir, Biography Memoir

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

American explorer Matthew Alexander Henson accompanied Robert Edwin Peary on seven Arctic expeditions, including the first expedition to reach the North Pole in 1909.

Reviews

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up in Maryland, I was always taught in school about the explorer Matthew Henson. He was from Charles County, Maryland (below my own Prince George's County) and grew-up in D.C. before leaving home for Baltimore and later the Arctic. He was the first African-American Arctic explorer and possibly the first man to reach the North Pole. Because this feat was accomplished in 1909, his very crucial contribution as U.S. Naval Commander Robert E. Peary's primary assistant was quickly covered-up, but attempts have been made since to bring to light Henson's contributions. This book, by Henson himself was the first.

I first encountered the man as a child in my Afro-Bets Book of Black Heroes from A to Z. Growing-up in Maryland in the 90s, meant that any person who could be used as an inspiration to "Black youth" would have their story told. It was only recently that I learned that he had published his own account. And of course I decided to read it.

The story is of mixed quality. On the one-hand, it is basic propaganda for Perry and his legacy, with Henson doing all he could to emphasize Peary, but he also incidentally gave interesting insight to the struggles of an Arctic expedition. Also, Peary & Henson had been going on expeditions around the world for 23 years before the final attempt at reaching the North Pole in 1909. Despite this, there was extreme anger at Peary taking Henson, especially choosing Henson to be the only other American to make the 130 mile journey to the Pole. While this this book is more propaganda than historical account it does make for an interesting adventure account. I did not expect him to be able to go into honest detail of his role in the North Pole Expedition (this was written in 1912) and I was not impressed by his paternalistic view of Inuits (ironic given his own treatment once he got back to the USA), but there were some details that really stood out to me. Henson's detailing of all the procedure of how you prepared for and carried out such an expedition was intriguing--as was his observations on the way over-fishing by commercial industries was negatively affecting the way-of-life of the local Inuit communities. Dangers of the expedition itself were suspenseful. And then there was the dogs.

If there was one group that could possibly lay claim over Henson as the hero was the North Pole expedition, it was the sled-dogs. The narrative always became more interesting and detailed when Henson talked about them. They were crucial to the survival of the expedition and I was almost moved in how Henson was mindful of how they acted in relation to the events of the expedition. He seemed to have more a regard for them than the humans at certain points. This isn't a scientific book in any sense, but his accounts of the sled-dogs offers a good look at the social behavior of canines. If you have a dog and read this book, you will hug your dog afterwards. This is as good as anything by Jack London.

Beyond this book, there isn't too much more to know. Henson's role in the expedition was ignored until the 1940s when the US Navy wanted to raise more recruitment for African-Americans. A short revival of Henson occurred from 1947 until his death in 1955. He was once again forgotten until Dr. S. Allen Counter's one-man mission to look for Henson's decedents from his relationship with an Inuit woman and his successful petition to get Henson buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Counter wrote a book detailing all this called North Pole Legacy: Black, White, and Eskimo in 1991.

There is also a website where you can see learn a little about Henson's offspring in Greenland, but the website's certification is messed-up so be-forewarned:
https://web.archive.org/web/201710132...

https://www.matthewhenson.com/matthew... (I have to say, despite the Inuit appearance, the majority of them all favor Henson's facial features).

[Bill on GR Sabbatical · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another world's accomplishment was done and finished, and as in the past, from the beginning of history, wherever the world's work was done by a white man, he had been accompanied by a colored man. ~ Matthew A. Henson

This reflection on his achievement in reaching the North Pole with Admiral Robert E. Peary in 1909 is one of Henson's few explicit references to race in his memoir of the successful, seventh Arctic expedition they undertook together, and it can simply be read as a stirring adventure tale.

But race undoubtedly is why Henson's likely being first to stand on the North Pole and his central role in the success of the expedition were overshadowed by veneration of Peary until he was given some belated recognition years later.

An interesting twist on race is Henson's extensive observations on the Inuit members of the expedition. Although he admired their skills at surviving in the Arctic, he was less impressed with their character and particularly critical of Inuit males' treatment of women as property.

It threw me a little to realize that this black man born in Maryland the year after the Civil War ended was living when I was born in the early 1950s.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a freelance article I'm working on for Black History month, about the African American polar explorer Matthew Henson, who may or may not have been the first person to reach the North Pole in 1909. Whether he was or not, Henson was a remarkable and admirable man.

Born of free blacks a year after the Civil War ended and orphaned early in life, he worked as a seaman on ships going around the world from his teen years, and then talked explorer Robert Peary into taking him on as an assistant for several trips, notably those carried out in the early 1900s as Peary competed to become the first to reach the North Pole.

Henson was along on all those trips, and may actually have reached the reputed pole location before his boss. But more importantly, this largely unschooled man learned the Inuit language, was the main liaison between the Inuits who accompanied the explorations and the whites who were the principal figures, and was a masterful jack of all trades -- building the sleds, taking care of the dogs, hunting wildlife, building tents and igloos and otherwise shouldering a major part of every job at a time when his leader had lost 8 of his 10 toes to frostbite and was debilitated for his final trip.

This memoir is a bit scattershot in its tale of the trip, but Henson does provide enough details to show just how brutal and challenging it was, from the temperatures that were routinely more than 40 below to the huge ice ridges that filled the miles between the coast of Greenland and the North Pole to the storms that raged across the area, often hurtling boulders over cliffs as though they were crumpled of pieces of paper in a breeze.

He also manages to show how much he did without sounding bitter for the subservient position into which Peary put him, and manages to praise his commander even while noting Peary's lack of praise for him.

[Jo O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant expedition memoir of a man mostly forgotten by history. One of the small team to first reach the North Pole (Commander Peary and 4 Inuit were the only others and there's evidence Henson was the first of the team to hit the exact spot), Henson packed this little book with detailed observation, wry humor, and adventure stories that will leave you looking for more info on the man himself.

Henson's 150th birthday would have been this August 8th, so pay him some respect and read an out-of-copyright book easily found online or in larger libraries.

[Candice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was interested in learning more about African-American explorers. The introduction and preface were very informative to the the big picture of Matthew Henson's life and the entire Polar Controversary. I learned most of what I needed to know from the introduction. There seems to be a lot of controversary about Henson's contributions to the discovery of the Pole. This book is evidence that Henson was an invaluable team leader on the journey.

[Sugarpuss O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always fascinating to read first-person accounts like these. No agenda from a third-party author. Just the thoughts & feelings of the person it's happening to.

This is not a comprehensive detailing of all of Matthew Henson's Polar exploits. This book primarily focuses on his & Peary's last push for the Pole. I just wish there was MORE! His writing is beautiful, and his love for the Arctic & its people is evident page after page.

It's too bad Peary didn't allow him to publish this until 1912, three years after their return & the story had already been well told, but I for one, am glad Mr Henson got his story out to the world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know the feeling when you read an author and wish it was someone you could hang out with? That is how I feel about Matt Henson. An intelligent, hardworking (but doesn't brag about it), funny, easy-going guy, who also happened to be the man chosen to accompany Peary on his marking of the North Pole. A great read that neither glosses over nor dwells on, the hardships, and enlightens the reader on just what was involved in traversing the Arctic.

[Ernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Librivox audio book: A great adventure story. The dramatic writing and attention to the details of the struggle against the harsh environment provide a sense of accompanying the Perry party to the North Pole. The descriptions of the party members, daily life, and complex planning of the trek helps the reader appreciate this significant accomplishment.

[Pippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Henson has to be one of the most inspirational men who ever lived. A very interesting book.

[Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent reading

Matthew's account of reaching the North Pole is fascinating. I truly enjoyed it.

He does use some specific terms that I had to look up to understand. In the journey to the pole he spoke of coming to "leads". These were places of open water as they crossed the artic ice.

[Joanne Fate · Rating 4 out of 5]

l thought this a solid book, albeit a bit dry and matter of fact. It is an accounting of the Peary Expedition to the North Pole in 1908-9. Matthew Henson (1867-1955) was an African American born in Maryland to parents who had been free sharecroppers before the Civil War. He eventually became Robert Peary's assistant on many of his expeditions.

Henson was part of the small group who reached the North Pole in 1909. He said that his footsteps were first. Peary got the credit because it was his expedition. He was a rival of Frederick Cook who had also claimed to reach the Pole, but whose claims were discredited. It is uncertain if Peary reached his destination as well, or whether he was about 60 miles away.

This fact is almost irrelevant as this was just part of the accomplishments of these men. They had spent years learning the ways of the Inuit people in order to survive. Henson learned the language as well. This journey was an incredible feat and should be recognized as such.

I'm interested in learning more about Henson. There is a biography that he contributed to that is hard to find. The narration was perfectly good, but I wonder why no African American man has recorded this? I wish this were in a more authentic voice.

This is my 7th book of Summer Listening Around the World and it was about as good as I had expected and hoped. A great writer could really put together an incredible biography of Henson.

[Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing travel journal of Matthew Henson’s historic expedition to the North pole.

I thought this quasi-journal format would interfere with the reading flow, but instead it enhanced the experience. As we read this book, we exist, not as spectators, but as participants in this amazing journey. It is as though we are standing alongside Matthew Henson as he mends the sleds or interacts with the wonderful Inuit people. Since he is such a beautiful person, his thoughts, observations and reflections are equally beautiful.

Despite it sometimes reading like an apologia for his controversial companion Robert Peary, this book was an absolute pleasure! If you enjoy history, memoirs and travel, then you should pick up a copy of Henson’s book.

[Kenneth Jung jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good history I chose this rating for he not only describes the hardships but also how he looked at the indigenous people he treated them as human beings and valuable to their expedition.

You felt you were right there with Matt Henson. You could feel the hardships they faced. Great journal. Great author.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather historically interesting.
A good accomplishment at the time, for any man. The Arctic was a very frozen wilderness, he learned the Inuit language and studied their survival techniques. He was very helpful to the group.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting details of an exciting exploration

The story of Matthew Benson is astounding! Written in Mr. Henson's own hand, what was his diary became the story of his part in discovering the North Pole. Detailed and an exceptional story. Recommend.

[Charles Sheard · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it is certainly noteworthy and inspiring how Commander Peary relied upon Matthew Henson for nearly 23 years of expeditions, and granted him the honour of being the only non-Inughuit to accompany Peary in the final leg of his final expedition to actually reach the North Pole (though that claim is questioned by some), this is unfortunately not a very compelling read. Henson relies far too much on simply inserting data (the date, the time they woke up, the condition of the ice they crossed and whether they had to make any repairs, the miles they covered, who was performing which resupply leg from which camp, how many musk-ox or walrus they shot, etc., etc.) than upon reflection and description. In fact, it is mostly those few asides which are the only notable portions of this memoir (such as discussions on the behaviors of the sled dogs, or a few descriptions of the sky and landscape, or the appendix on the Inughuit (Eskimos, to Henson). I seem to recall a much greater enjoyment many years ago reading Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

It doesn't help, of course, that the ultimate "adventure" here is merely a vanity trip accomplishing absolutely nothing of gain, scientific or otherwise. The long-lost age of exploration, where new shores and continents and peoples were encountered, was already centuries past, and merely trudging over pack ice to reach a magnetic point on the globe to plant a flag that few (if any) will ever see, is not ultimately compelling.

This review is of the Standard eBooks edition, which has not yet been added to Goodreads.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading an article about Matthew Henson, specifically how he had been denied accolades for being the first person to reach the North Pole, I wanted to read his account of exploration. I enjoyed his narrative style and his descriptions of the elements in Greenland, previous journeys, the day to day of trying to reach the North Pole, how he got involved in polar exploration, etc. Having worked in extreme cold, I well understand the limitations, frustrations and harshness of freezing temperatures. Reading his story brought me back to the sounds and smells and feelings of being in a similar environment.

But I'm not entirely sure how to rate this book. Honestly, I couldn't finish it once I got to the part where he mentions severely beating one of the sled dogs to teach the other dogs to be obedient. It was also bothersome to read his descriptions of the Inuit people he seemed to both admire and scorn at the same time. Some people would tell me "it's reflective of it it's time." That may be true, but it was difficult for me to reconcile an author who for decades was refused recognition for being the first person to reach the North Pole (or membership in any scientific societies) because he was a Black man as the same person who seemed to view the indigenous population as beneath him (even though he hailed their acumen and had a child with an Inuit woman). I realize there is complexity and nuance to reading a book like this with a 21st century mindset, and I very well may go back and finish it. For now, I needed to put it down, despite my admiration for Mr. Henson.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is so often the case in history, the role of people of color, women, indigenous peoples, etc. are ignored. How fortunate we are that Matthew Henson, a Black American, and only other American who accompanied Robert Peary on his final arrival at the North Pole, wrote this book about his adventure. While the language and attitudes (especially toward indigenous people) are sometimes uncomfortable when read from the modern day lens, the accomplishments, bravery, and tenacity of this man are inspirational. A rueful quote from the book: ““and as in the past, from the beginning of history, wherever the world’s work was done by a white man, he had been accompanied by a colored man. 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 Caucasian” is about as indignant as Henson gets in his narrative. At least Henson also lists the Inuit who were also part of the arrival party: Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah. It would be interesting to read the Inuit perspective on what the Arctic expeditions and experiences meant to them.

[Sandy]

I first heard about Matthew Henson while watching a Johnny Harris video about expositions to the North Pole. I later found out while talking to my coworker that he had an autobiography, so I decided to check it out.

It was really interesting to see the practicalities of such an expedition rather than just the glories of the headlines and stories told afterward. It’s also really interesting to see how it was done without some of the technologies we have today. It’s cool because it means that we can be really smart and do lots of cool things even when we don’t have technology, we just have to make sure not to forget.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember why I picked this up, other than that it's free. I was surprised how good of a read it was - sometimes with these older biographies they are very stilted and dry. This one is still a bit on the dry side, but I still felt I got a good idea of just how tough the expedition was.

Matthew Henson's contributions to polar exploration are often overlooked, but it's good to see that in more recent years he's gotten the recognition he deserves.

[A.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't find this quite as engaging as some of the polar exploration tales I've read recently, but maybe it didn't help that I was listening to the librivox recording, which was well read but a little flat. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating, if brief, read. Interesting to hear the treatment of the Eskimo on the trip, referred to as 'boys' and treated with a kind of affectionate contempt.

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting story about the true story Matthew Henson, an African American man who traveled to the North Pole. This is a cool and unique part of history that I enjoyed reading and I would it recommend to others.

[Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice read

[Eileen]

Read and enjoyed up until about the halfway point (middle of Chapter 12) when he said he
severely clubbed a dog.

[Christine]

Entertainingly written account of an epic historic experience -remarkable story!

[Velma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prosaic but interesting combination of diary, field notes, and post-expedition analysis plus a smidgen of biographical info by Robert Peary’s right-hand man. Matthew Henson was a bona fide Renaissance man, performing every task on ship, land, and ice necessary to accomplish what may or may not have been the discovery of the North Pole. At times a somewhat tedious listing of events and equipment, understandably repetitive due to the nature of the endeavor, I was still mightily impressed by the quality of the writing from a man whose own biography indicates he only had 6 years of formal education. We should all write as well as he does here. I’m his own words “having no poetry in [his] soul”, I found Henson’s descriptions insightful, and I sure would have preferred him as a travel partner to the overbearing Peary.


Discovered this book via this article: https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/0...

[Jean-Christophe Balleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Story of Bravery and Grit.

‘'A N* Explorer at the North Pole’’ by Matthew Alexander Hanson is a story of absolute grit, passion and purpose.

From Cape Columbia onwards, walking on ice and deep snow, pulling half-a-ton sleds for hundreds of kilometres in the deathly cold whilst, either consciously or unconsciously knowing that, under you, rests absolute darkness and frozen death for at least a mile deep (darkness that, sadly, Professor Marvin, Henson's colleague, met to his own demise). In Henson's own words: ''My good, kind friend was never again to see us, or talk with us. It is sad to write this. He went back to his death, drowned in the cold, black water of the Big Lead. In unmarked, unmarbled grave, he sleeps his last, long sleep.'' (Henson, Matthew Alexander. A N* Explorer at the North Pole (p. 81). Kindle Edition.)

Hanson’s book is a demonstration of pure courage, dedication and comradeship in a time where segregation was still rampant (the title of the book, which I have to necessarily censor every time I mention it, being a token of that statement).

A part of me believed, while reading, that the route to the pole was fairly straightforward. Very few incidents happened and the big challenges ended up being the journey in itself, which was monstrously heavy and long. You got to have an unshakeable sense of grit to move forward even though you know what’s coming (about half a thousand miles pulling a half-a-ton sled in sadistically frozen conditions, for weeks on end). I have to say, Sisyphus’ condemnation to pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity doesn’t look so bleak anymore.

I wish Hanson had talked more about how he felt about the journey, his impressions and thoughts on the events that happened along the journey. Instead, the book ended up being laid out in a way that closely resembles the paragons of « captain logs » of ships and expeditions; a bare description of the facts and nothing more.

That said, it was an interesting read. Recommended to those who love books about expeditions and adventures. Slightly less recommended to those who prefer books that discuss, in-depth, how the protagonist felt and interpreted the events that happened to him. If that’s you, you might not like the book that much, as you don’t get to really meet who the man behind the pen is.

I'll give the book a 4/5.

As a fan of polar expeditions and stories of survival in barren lands, I enjoyed the book.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy these books about exploration of the Arctic, but must say that the two on my reading list are sort of minimal. I thought there might be more influence on this particular book by the race of its author, but really there was not. Don't know if that's good or bad. I thought I would get more of "the black man's perspective" but it seemed to Mr. Henson to be mostly non-issue. There is certainly remarkable heroism in trying to discover the North Pole, and I think it must be hard to relay in writing. One question I would like for him to have addressed more seriously is why one would spend a lifetime doing this. Twenty years of life spent making several exhausting, dangerous trips to the Arctic, nearly draining all the life out of the explorer (and some were lost) in pursuit of this goal. Not "normal". But then, if someone doesn't do it, we don't discover the North Pole.

[Stephanie Caffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very interesting to read about an expedition to the north pole, but it felt like reading Call of the Wild from the people perspective rather than the dog's, and it was a little boring at times. Lots of neat details though!