By the early 1900s, most of the big “prizes” of discovery exploration had been claimed. The era of the imperialist adventurers was coming to a close, as technology and transportation were rapidly making the world smaller. On the list of remaining places that men and women were vying to reach first, the North Pole was at the top.
The first explorers to reach the North Pole were bound for glory and worldwide fame, not to mention certain sponsorship for any other expedition they concocted. The stage was set for drama, but no one would predict the twists and (still) unsolved controversy that would unfold. Central to the story, though rarely invoked by name, was Matthew Henson. Henson deserves to be known for much more important qualifications than the color of his skin, but at a time when many African-Americans were facing unbearable social restrictions, Henson became a global adventurer of the first degree. A pioneering polar explorer from the Golden Age of Exploration, Henson grew up as a poor orphan in Baltimore.
While Robert Edwin Peary is widely renowned as the first man to reach the North Pole, what is far less known is that Matthew Henson played a vital role in Peary’s expeditions. He actually reached the North Pole first. Henson was instrumental in Peary’s successful expedition, going so far as to learn the language of the local Inuits to gain their trust and aid for the journey. While Peary walked the last couple miles to plant the flag, Henson had arrived first by boat.