The Remarkable Journey of Matthew Henson: From Humble Beginnings to the North Pole

Matthew Henson’s life is a testament to perseverance, courage, and determination. Born on August 8, 1866, in the small town of Nanjemoy, Maryland, Henson was one of the most significant explorers in American history. His remarkable contributions, especially to the race to the North Pole, have often been overshadowed by his white counterparts, but his story deserves recognition for its trailblazing spirit. 

Early Life and African Heritage 

 Matthew Henson was born to parents who were both of African descent. His father, a free Black man, left the family when Henson was still a toddler, and his mother died when he was about 11 years old. Left orphaned, Henson moved to Washington, D.C., where he was taken in by an aunt and uncle. In his early teens, he was able to find work as a cabin boy on merchant ships. His work as a seaman would soon expose him to a world of exploration, an opportunity that would change the course of his life. 

 Henson’s African heritage was an important part of his identity, though in the segregated America of his time, it often presented challenges. Despite these barriers, Henson’s skills and determination earned him respect in the world of Arctic exploration, where his talents as a navigator and his ability to adapt to harsh conditions would be his ticket to fame. 

  A Life at Sea and Introduction to Arctic Exploration

At the age of 18, Henson set off on a new adventure when he joined a ship heading to the Caribbean, learning navigation and the skills of a seaman along the way. He would continue his seafaring work for several years, traveling to ports around the world. It was on one of these trips that he encountered Robert E. Peary, a U.S. Navy engineer and explorer. Peary, who had begun his career in Arctic exploration, saw promise in Henson and hired him as a personal assistant for a trip to Greenland in 1887. 

 This was the beginning of Henson’s long association with Peary and his eventual rise to prominence in the exploration community. Over the next two decades, Henson traveled repeatedly to the Arctic, learning the skills of survival in the frozen wilderness. Peary, impressed by his resilience, made Henson an essential member of his exploration team. Henson was not only a trusted assistant, but also took on the role of a skilled navigator, and his work was crucial to the success of Peary’s expeditions. 

  Navigating the North Pole

The quest to reach the North Pole was one of the most ambitious and dangerous challenges of the early 20th century. For years, Peary and Henson, along with a team of Inuit guides, had been pushing northward, battling harsh conditions and treacherous terrain. The race to the pole was marked by failure and frustration, but Henson’s dedication never wavered. 

 In 1909, after many years of preparation and several expeditions, Peary, Henson, and their team of Inuit guides finally reached what they believed to be the North Pole. However, the controversy over who actually made it first has clouded the achievement. Both Peary and Henson claimed to have been the first men to reach the pole, but there were disputes over the exact coordinates and the legitimacy of their claim. Despite this, historians agree that Henson played a crucial role in the expedition and was indispensable to its success. He was the one who navigated and led the way, ensuring that they moved in the right direction despite the blizzards, icy conditions, and lack of landmarks. 

Legacy and Recognition

Although Henson was not widely recognized in his lifetime for his achievements, his contributions to the polar expeditions were finally acknowledged decades later. In 1937, he became one of the first Black members of the Explorers Club in New York. In 1954, after decades of living in relative obscurity, he was awarded a gold medal by the National Geographic Society in recognition of his role in reaching the North Pole. However, it wasn’t until long after his death in 1955 that Henson received the full recognition he deserved. 

In the years following his death, Henson's story began to capture the imagination of a new generation. His pioneering spirit and perseverance were finally celebrated as a key part of America's history of exploration. In 1988, his remains were reburied next to Robert Peary at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was finally honored as a hero of Arctic exploration. 

Today, Henson is remembered as one of the most accomplished explorers of the 20th century. Despite the racial prejudices he faced, his achievements have become an enduring symbol of resilience and excellence. Henson’s journey from an orphaned child of African descent to one of the most important figures in polar exploration serves as an inspiration to all who dare to dream beyond the boundaries imposed by society.

February's Black History Month in the United States

Photo: Black History Heroes Jack Johnson T-Shirt Design

As Black History Month in the United States gets underway, expect more frequent posts during the month of February. We will highlight the life and times of some of our favorite public heroes like Toussaint L'Ouverture, Marie Da Silva, Julius Kmbarage Nyerere and Sojourner Truth. Become a subscribers to the BHH blog and receive free notices of new blog posts during February. For teachers, use theses blogs for ideas to help you develop engaging Black history school projects and programs.

 

 

The blog recently underwent some major design changes to increase its readibility and navigational ease. Hope that you find the changes refreshing. Also, we have partnered with Zazzle.com to bring you quality Black History Heroes t-shirt designs. Check out the first BHH t-shirt design which features Jack Johnson. T-shirt designs are available in both men and women styles. Order one today! 

 

Happy Black History Month 2011!

 

George Washington Carver: Scientist and Inventor

Picture of George Washington Carver (1864-1943)

taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston in 1906

“I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” ~ George Washington Carver

The peanut butter packaged and sold by such American brands as Skippy was invented by Dr. George Washington Carver. In U.S. society, Carver is the first person of record to make oil out of the peanut. This is the same peanut oil that can be found on many grocery store shelves today. While many people know about these innovations, they do not know that Carver developed these inventions, as well as hundreds of other derivative products from the peanut, pecan, and sweet potato.

Dr. Carver works included the development of agricultural derived adhesives, gasoline fuel, shaving cream, shampoos, hand lotions, insecticide, glue, bleach, sugar, synthetic rubber, and other innovations from natural agricultural resources. He devoted his life to understanding nature and the alternative uses of a simple plant. He is reported to have extracted medicines from weeds and through the separation of fats, oils, gums, resins and sugars, he found over 300 new uses for the peanut alone.

 

Photo of the George Washington Carver National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service located about two miles west of Diamond, Missouri. Depicting Dr. Carver as a young boy, this statute was founded on July 14, 1943 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who dedicated $30,000 to the monument. It was the first national monument dedicated to an African-American and first to a non-President.

In 1864 (exact birth date unknown), George Washington Carver was born into the institution of slavery near Diamond Grove, Missouri. He was kidnapped from his mother by slavers as a baby. As a slave, his early weak condition in body made him of no use in the field. Carver worked in a domestic capacity and gardening became a part of his work. On the plantation he was known as the 'Plant Doctor." Despite the challenge of his birth, Carver applied and was admitted to Highland College in Highland, Kansas from his application submission that did not mention or request his race. When he arrived at Highland College its president, learning then of his skin color, withdrew the college's acceptance.

George Washington Carver in his laboratory.

At that point in his life, instead of college, Carver went into business. He opened a laundry and subsequently worked as a cook in Winterset, Iowa. Saving his money, Carver was the first person of African descent to be admitted to Simpson College in Iowa. He eventually transferred to Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State College). There he earned a Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in agricultural and bacterial botany. Carver became the first black teacher at Iowa State College.

George Washington Carver (center, front row) poses with fellow

Tuskegee Institute staff members in 1902 (now known as Tuskegee University)

Upon the invite of Booker T. Washington, Dr. Carver relocated to Alabama's Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (Tuskegee Institute, now known as Tuskegee University). At Tuskegee, Carver spearheaded the university's Agricultural Department, a dynamic agricultural research department that he served for more than 50 years. There was much farming innovation developed out of Tuskegee during the course of Carver's leadership. This included translating scientific theory into great practical assistance to local farmers, including former slaves, who sought self-sufficiency through farming. Carver assisted many southern farmers, black and white, in producing additional products from their staple crops in an effort to increase family farm income.

Illustration of George Washington Carver by Charles Alston (1943)

Carver's work was a course in sustainable development. His legacy is the original green. This included providing American farmers training in soil fertilization and crop rotation innovations. He introduced southern farmers to new soil enriching plants such as the peanut, pecan, and the sweet potatoe. This diversified the agricultural tradition of farmers in the U.S. southern states whose agricultural economy was based predominantly on cotton production. Carver's work in agricultural recycling is significant in that he introduced southern farmers to practical innovative uses for farm waste. Tuskegee Institute research during this time included scientific works in chemistry, nutrition, plant pathology, and genetics.

Painting of George Washington Carver,

by Betsy Graves Reyneau, oil on canvas (1942)

“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” ~ George Washington Carver

“All mankind are the beneficiaries of his discoveries in the field of agricultural chemistry," stated the late U.S. President Franklin T. Roosevelt. "The things which he achieved in the face of early handicaps will for all time afford an inspiring example to youth everywhere."

George Washington Carver stamp issued on January 5, 1948
by the United States Postal Service

George Washington Carver received three formal U.S. patents from his peanut inventions. His works, however, includes 118 applications for inventions derived from sweet potatoes, cowpeas, soybeans, and pecans. His sweet potato inventions included 73 dyes, 17 wood fillers, 14 candies, 5 library pastes, 5 breakfast foods, 4 starches, 4 flours, 3 molasses’s, vinegar and spiced vinegar, dry coffee and instant coffee, candy, after-dinner mints, orange drops, and lemon drops.

The National Peanut Board reports Dr. Carver's works to include food products that ranged from "peanut lemon punch, chili sauce, caramel, peanut sausage, mayonnaise and coffee. Cosmetics included face powder, shampoo, shaving cream and hand lotion. Insecticides, glue, charcoal, rubber, nitroglycerine, plastics and axle grease are just a few of the many valuable peanut products discovered by Dr. Carver.”

An African American worker at the Richmond Shipyards, Richmond, California, USA (April 1943) rushing the SS George Washington Carver ship to completion. Black skilled workers played an important part in the construction of the SS George Washington Carver, the second Liberty Ship named for a person of African descent, in the Richmond Shipyard No. 1 of the Kaiser Company (California).

Statute of George Washington Carver