BLACK HANDS, BLUE SEAS
by Elysa Engelman
W
hen USS Roosevelt steamed into New York Harbor in 1909 carrying the Arctic exploring team home from their triumphant trek to the North Pole, she was greeted by a curious public. Robert Peary, the already famous Arctic explorer, and his crew disembarked and, once their feat had been confirmed, were honored with awards and celebrations. Most of his men, rhar is. While many Americans today are familiar with polar explorers such as Robert Peary and Richard Byrd, few know about rhe African-American explorer, Manhew Henson, an invaluable member of Peary's ream. An able-bodied seaman, skilled translator, and tireless worker, Henson was rhe only American to accompany Peary rhe entire way to rhe North Pole in 1909. In fact, some believe rhar Henson actually reached the Pole first, an acr rhar Peary could neither forgive nor forger. Henson discovered rhar barriers of prejudice were as difficult to surmount as the ice ridges of rhe Arctic. His struggle for recognition conrinued long after his death-only in rhe past few years has this remarkable man received rhe belated arrenrion and honors he so deserved. Manhew Alexander Henson was born imo a family of freeborn sharecroppers on 8 August 1866, in Charles County, Maryland. When he was a young boy, his parenrs moved closer to merropoliran Washington, DC, to look for work. Ar an early age, Man
Henson felt equally comfortable on land, at sea, or on top of the Arctic ice.
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Matthew Henson in 1909 Henson became fascinated wirh rhe romanric idea of a seafaring life, soaking up local sailors' stories of maritime advemure and enviously watching rhe men, black and whire, who worked rhe steamboats plying rhe Potomac River. Orphaned by age 13, he made his way to Baltimore, where he signed on as cabin boy aboard a merchant ship bound for China. The ship's Quaker captain took rhe young, inquisitive black boy under his wing-reaching him general subjects such as history, rhe classics, and rhe Bible along with practical lessons in mathematics, geography, and navigation. By rhe end of his first voyage, rhe cabin boy qualified as an able-bodied
seaman. Henson spem rhe next four years sailing rhe world, from China, Japan, rhe Philippines, and Russian Black Sea pons to North Africa, Spain, and France. Along rhe way he developed a knack for mastering foreign languages, a ralem rhar would serve him well during his travels later wirh Robert Peary. Seafaring had been a common trade for free black men earlier in rhe nineteenth cenrury; ir provided higher wages, greater personal freedom, and the chance to acquire more marketable skills rhan what they could find ashore. By rhe 1880s, however, American black mariners faced stiff competition from working-class immigranrs, and, ar rhe same rime, opportunities dwindled when many maritime trades unionized. When the captain of Henson's ship died, rhe eighteen-year-old mariner lost both his mentor and his protector. Concerned for his safety among a hostile white crew, he left rhe sea behind-at least for a while. After several years wandering up and down rhe eastern seaboard searching for steady employmem, Henson rerurned to Washington, DC. By 1888, rhe former seaman was employed as a clerk in a fur storage company, where many explorers, scienrisrs, and game hunrers stored their Arctic skins. 'lhere he mer a young Navy surveyor, Robert Peary, who was organizing a government expedition to Nicaragua to search for a porenrial canal route to link rhe Pacific and Adancic Oceans (ar rhis rime, rhe US government had nor yer embraced rhe French plan to build a canal through Panama). Peary needed a personal servant for the assignmem and, impressed by Henson's travel experience, offered him the job. So began a rwenty-rwo-year murually beneficial parmership. During their year-long sray in Nicaragua, Peary grew to respect Henson for his "intelligence, faithfulness, and bener rhan average pluck and endurance," quickly promoting rhe valet to his assistant. Henson, in rum, appreciated Peary's willingness to look beyond skin color and value him for his abilities. This whire patron could help him escape rhe routine of city living and return to a life of travel and advenrure. Two years later, when rhe Navy granted Peary a leave of absence to moum an
SEA HISTORY 117, WINTER 2006-07