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Peary vs. Henson: Who Really Reached the North Pole First?

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Peary vs. Henson: Who Really Reached the North Pole First?


🖤 Black History Month 2026 — Honoring Matthew Alexander Henson

Peary vs. Henson

Who Really Reached the North Pole First?

The Official Story

On April 6, 1909, Commander Robert E. Peary of the U.S. Navy claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole, becoming one of the most celebrated explorers in American history. He received the thanks of Congress, a promotion to Rear Admiral, and the prestigious Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society.

But the official story obscures a more complex truth—one involving racial injustice, disputed evidence, and a man whose name was deliberately erased from history: Matthew Alexander Henson.

Matthew Henson: The Indispensable Man

Matthew Alexander Henson (1866–1955) was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic over 23 years. He was not a servant or assistant—he was Peary’s essential partner and, by many accounts, the more capable Arctic explorer of the two.

Henson’s Unique Qualifications

  • Fluent in Inuktitut — The only non-Inuit expedition member who could communicate directly with their essential Inuit guides
  • Master dog-sled driver — Trained in Inuit techniques; the only Westerner who became truly skilled in this essential Arctic skill
  • Expert craftsman — Built and maintained all the sledges used in the expeditions
  • Navigator and scout — Frequently sent ahead to find safe routes across treacherous ice
  • Trainer — Taught other Western expedition members survival techniques
“Henson was indispensable. With years of experience equal to that of Peary himself.”
— Donald B. MacMillan, expedition member, National Geographic Magazine, April 1920
“Henson must go all the way. I can’t make it there without him.”
— Robert Peary, planning the 1909 expedition

The Final Push: April 6, 1909

The final team pushing for the Pole consisted of six men: Peary, Henson, and four Inuit guides—Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah. No other Western witnesses were present.

As they approached what they believed to be the Pole, Peary could no longer walk. Various accounts cite exhaustion, illness, or frozen toes. He was transported by dog sled. Henson was sent ahead as a scout.

Henson’s Account

“I was in the lead that had overshot the mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints were the first at the spot.”

— Matthew Henson, newspaper interview (Library of Congress)

When Henson greeted Peary upon his arrival approximately 45 minutes later, Henson reportedly said:

“I think I’m the first man to sit on top of the world.”
— Matthew Henson to Robert Peary, April 6, 1909 (as recorded in multiple accounts)

Peary’s reaction was telling. According to Henson:

“From the time we knew we were at the Pole, Commander Peary scarcely spoke to me. It nearly broke my heart… that he would rise in the morning and slip away on the homeward trail without rapping on the ice for me, as was the established custom.”
— Matthew Henson, Nunatsiaq News interview

The Scientific Controversy

The question of who reached the Pole first assumes they reached it at all. Modern analysis casts significant doubt on Peary’s entire claim.

🔬 Wally Herbert’s Analysis (1989)

British polar explorer Wally Herbert examined Peary’s expedition records and found them “lacking in essential data.” He concluded the team likely fell 30–60 miles short of the actual Pole due to navigational errors and ice drift. (New York Times, 1988)

📊 Implausible Speed

Peary claimed speeds of up to 135 miles in the final days—far exceeding what any subsequent expedition has achieved under similar conditions. Experts consider these speeds physically impossible. (TIME Magazine)

🧭 No Longitudinal Readings

Peary’s records show no evidence he took longitudinal readings at the Pole. Without these, it would be impossible to confirm the actual position. His diary for the critical day contains a loose page inserted later. (Washington Post, 1988)

🏛️ National Geographic Reversal

In 1988, even the National Geographic Society—Peary’s longtime financial backer—determined that Peary’s team may have fallen short of the North Pole.

The scientific consensus today: Whether or not anyone from the 1909 expedition reached the exact geographic North Pole remains unverifiable. What we can say with certainty is that if they reached it, the evidence strongly suggests Matthew Henson arrived first.

Why Was Henson Erased?

The answer is painfully simple: racism.

In the early 20th century, the idea that a Black man could be the first to reach the North Pole—ahead of a white Naval commander—was unthinkable to American society. The traditions of colonial exploration demanded that credit go exclusively to white men in charge of expeditions.

Peary explicitly claimed sole title as the man who “discovered” the North Pole. His assertions denied Henson credit as a full partner. After their return, the two men who had worked together for over 20 years became estranged and never reconciled. (HISTORY.com)

Henson’s Post-Expedition Life

While Peary received Congressional honors, promotion to Rear Admiral, and lasting fame, Henson spent the next 30 years working as a clerk at the U.S. Customs House in New York—a position arranged by Theodore Roosevelt as a form of quiet acknowledgment.

Belated Recognition

1909 — Honored at a dinner by the Colored Citizens of New York; given a gold watch
1912 — Published memoir: “A Negro Explorer at the North Pole”
1937 — First African American admitted to The Explorers Club
1944 — Awarded Peary Polar Expedition Medal by Congress (a silver duplicate of Peary’s gold medal)
1948 — Elevated to Honorary Member of The Explorers Club
1954 — Received at the White House by President Eisenhower
1955 — Died in the Bronx at age 88; buried at Woodlawn Cemetery
1986 — U.S. Postal Service issued stamp honoring Henson and Peary
1988 — Reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery with full honors
2000 — Posthumously awarded the Hubbard Medal by National Geographic—91 years after Peary received his
2021 — Lunar crater named “Henson” by the International Astronomical Union

The Historical Record

Based on the available evidence, the following conclusions are supported:

  1. The 1909 expedition may not have reached the exact North Pole. Modern analysis suggests they fell 30-60 miles short due to navigational errors and ice drift.
  2. If they did reach the Pole, Matthew Henson arrived first. Multiple sources—including Henson’s own account, Inuit witnesses, and the physical circumstances (Peary could not walk)—support this conclusion.
  3. Henson’s contributions were essential to all of Peary’s Arctic achievements. Peary himself acknowledged he could not have succeeded without Henson.
  4. Henson was denied recognition due to racism. The erasure of his accomplishments was deliberate and systematic.

Matthew Alexander Henson deserves to be remembered not as Robert Peary’s assistant, but as America’s first true Arctic explorer—a man whose skill, endurance, and courage opened the door to the top of the world.

Sources & Further Reading