The 1909 Expedition to the
North Pole
Robert Peary & Matthew
Henson
Rear
Admiral Robert Edwin Peary
1856-1920
Robert Edwin Peary, who was born
on May 6, 1856, in Cresson, Pa., was a member of the U.S. Navy Civil
Engineering Corps. While in the Navy, Peary made four trips to
Greenland, which were his first expeditions into the Arctic region.
These exploratory journeys earned him great fame and prepared the way
for his most ambitious journey to the North Pole.
Peary began his Arctic career in
1885 as he began to plan an expedition that would ascend the
Greenland Ice Cap. He had dreamed of exploring the Arctic since he
was a young child reading Elisha Kent Kane's accounts of Arctic
travel. Peary had a strong desire to become famous. He felt that one
sure way to gain that fame would be to discover the North Pole. In
1886 he crossed a section of the Greenland Ice Cap, and in 1892 he
investigated northeast Greenland. His exploration of the far North
continued until 1909.He was 52 years old when he announced that he,
his assistant Matthew Henson, and the Polar Eskimos (Inuit) Uutaaq,
Ukkujaaq, Sigluk, and Iggiannguaq were the first men to reach the
North Pole. Peary felt he and his assistants stood on top of the
world.
Matthew
Alexander Henson
1866 - 1955
Matthew Henson, one of the world's
greatest explorers, was born in Baltimore in 1866. At an early age,
Henson's mother died, leaving him to live alone with his father.
Unfortunately, the family experienced problems with the Klu Klux
Klan. To escape the problems and make a better life for his son,
Henson's father moved the family to Washington, D. C.. While Henson's
father worked, Matthew took care of the elderly uncle they lived
with. While they lived in Washington, Henson's father died, leaving
his son in the care of his uncle. Henson's uncle was mean and abusive
to the point that it caused Matthew to run away from the only home he
had. For awhile, Henson wandered the streets. He was a poor, ragged
and uneducated kid. What could he offer to someone to earn a living?
Finally, he came to a small restaurant. The owner hired Henson to
sweep and mop the floors, clean the kitchen and wash the dishes.
Since he had nowhere else to stay, the owner allowed Henson to sleep
on the floor of the restaurant after closing.
One day, Henson saw a sign
advertising a ship captain looking for young men to go to sea. That
cabin boy position was the beginning of Matthew Henson's sailing
career. For the rest of his teenage years, Henson sailed around the
world learning mathematics, navigation, the operations of a ship and
how to read books and maps. By the time he was 21, Matthew Henson was
an experienced sailor.
Between his terms at sea, Henson
would sometimes work to earn a little money. One job he had would
change the course of his life. The year was 1887, the place was a fur
and supplies shop in Washington, D. C. where Matthew Henson had been
working as a clerk. It was a family owned shop so the owner knew
Henson quite well. One day, as Henson was working, a man visited the
store to buy some supplies. He was an engineer and explorer named
Robert Peary. Peary needed supplies and a servant to take with him on
a trip to Nicaragua. He was working for the government to chart the
Nicaraguan jungle in hopes of building a canal there. The store owner
told Peary that Henson was "bright and strong. He's only 21, but he's
already been around the world." This began the relationship between
Robert Peary and Matthew Henson.
Peary's dream was to be the first
person to reach the North Pole and he wanted Henson with him. Every
attempt to reach the pole with the exception of the first, paired
Peary and Henson. Over the span of five attempts, Henson learned
everything he possibly could from the Eskimos about surviving in the
arctic. He learned to break trails, build camp, repair sleds, drive a
dog team, hunt polar bears, and even make clothes out of animal
skins. Henson was so skilled and strong that Peary remarked "I
couldn't get along without him."
More extensive information on Peary or
Henson can be found by clicking on their underlined names
above.
Extension Exercises:
1. In April 1922, the National
Geographic Society unveiled a marble statue dedicated to Robert Edwin
Peary. This tribute has an inscription on the monument. Search the
internet to find the translation of the Latin inscription, then write
an essay as to why you feel the translation greatly honors Peary.
2. Arlington National Cemetary has
a website containing biographies of some of its veterans. Visit the
webpage of Matthew Henson and read the biography. Write an essay
explaining the characteristics Henson displayed which made him a good
partner for Robert Peary.
3. Research the lives of the 4
Inuit/Eskimo explorers mention in paragraph 2. Discover the group
they belonged to and some of the qualities they possessed for Arctic
exploration. Write an report describing Inuit Eskimo life.
**Want your essays on the web??? E-mail them
to the Winter Web creator, Lottie
Simms, at Lawton
Chiles Middle School**
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