The Black Explorer Erased From History

In 1909, the North Pole was at the center of a heated controversy: Who had made it there first, Robert Peary or Frederick Cook? But overlooked in the debate was a third explorer, a Black man named Matthew Henson.

In The Margins is a series that covers the history they didn’t teach in school, exploring obscure, yet captivating tales that offer unique insights into their time and place.

00:00 Intro
00:45 Matthew Henson's backstory
1:58 Henson Meets Robert Peary
3:06 History of Arctic Exploration
4:00 Relationship with the Inuit
5:04 The Attempts to the North Pole
5:54 The Final Expedition
8:40 The North Pole Controversy: Who Was First?
10:33 Henson's legacy

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Read Matthew A. Henson’s Autobiography:

Watch the Forgotten Four Ceremony honoring Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah:

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[knorman]

I felt so many things while watching this! I felt anger at how Henson was so disrespected in the moment, but then I felt so grateful to hear how he and Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah were finally honored. I’m also grateful that you are telling their story so we can all honor their memory. Thank you!

[PokhrajRoy.]

4:12 A black man and Inuit groups headed to the Arctic? Where’s that action-adventure movie?

[escritora]

It's not shocking to see how poorly Henson was treated, but disheartening all the same. I'm glad the indigenous folks were far more welcoming and saw them as their family. Had it not been for the connections Henson made with them, Peary would've never made it as far as he did.

[strokestv]

Okay first of all - this production?!?! AMAZING WORK TEAM! Such a good job keeping us engaged with all the animation and Harini - you ate that miss mamas! Keep it up! Love these so much.

[EyeoIsis]

Thank you for revealing the hidden history of North Pole exploration and telling Matthew Henson's story.

[kyt-nhef]

"The Kind One..." that's a way better reputation than "which asshole exploited people and got to the North Pole first?"

[colinleat]

Hansen was a truly remarkable person, Perry's treatment of him after the fact... deplorable.

[mypal]

Matthew Henson blazed the trail for exploration but his legacy was smothered due to prejudice. Now he's vindicated after so much digging. It's unfortunate that it was past his death to realize it.

[prettypic]

Henson's story is so interesting (I read his autobiography earlier this year). I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been made into a movie yet! you could flashback to his life while following his journey to the pole

[danielleshanti]

I first heard of Matthew Henson in the opening of the musical Ragtime! Robert Peary's name is pronounced "pairy, " which I also learned in Ragtime. It's too bad no one caught that before the video was released.

[robocat]

When I was a child, Matthew Henson WAS a household name in my household.

[allenman]

Fun fact Taraji P Henson the actress is his niece.

[danielland]

Matthew Henson was well known in Baltimore in the 80's/90's we knew he was critical to the success of that mission just like Lewis Latimer was critical to Thomas Edison light bulb, both would be nowhere without Black excellence with them

[grandsome]

The history books should remember them like this:

First people recorded people on the north pole: Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah.

First person of Old World descent on the North pole: Henson.

First White man who sadly got overcome by their racism due to the delirious cold but nonetheless sponsored the expedition on the North pole: Peary

[dorothyjohnson]

I learned about Matthew Henson a long time ago. History erases people of color's contributions to world history and American history. We have to make an effort to discover everyone's contributions to history. It's what I love about history 😊

[MrMetro-mtqv]

Henson's story would make a great movie.

[louisjov]

Speaking of the Arctic,

Franklin and the other European expeditions failed to traverse the Northwest Passage with each attempt, always doing things the "European" way, and promptly met disaster.

Finally one dude was like "hey you know these people who have lived here for thousands of years? Maybe we should ask how they survive in this environment" and Roald Amundsun promptly navigated the Northwest Passage

[PokhrajRoy.]

I’ve heard so many Polar Explorations and respect to everyone who has been on those expeditions.

[Pippis]

How depressingly unsurprising that this is the first time I've heard this man's name.

[MariaVosa]

I first learned of Henson reading about him in a collection of short biographies of overlooked scientists and explorers by Stephen Jay Gould. The image of a White man being pulled on a sleigh by a Black man and several Inuits and then getting credit for being the first man on the North Pole never left my mind afterwards. I wish you had mentioned that Henson also got a son, Anauakaq, with an Inuit woman - his only descendent. Peary also had children with an Inuit woman.