Henson holding a portrait of Peary taken during an expedition to the North Pole. Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 - March 9, 1955) was an African-American explorer. He met Robert Peary in 1887 and they made many trips, including Arctic voyages in which Henson traded with the Inuit, mastered their language, and trained dog teams. In 1909, Peary mounted his 8th attempt to reach the North Pole. He sent Henson on ahead as a scout. "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." Although Peary received many honors, Henson was largely ignored. World-Telegram photo by Roger Higgins, 1953.