Matthew Henson: First Man on the North Pole: Black History Month I Can't Believe That Happened

About this episode

This episode explores the life and achievements of Mathew Henson, one of the first men to reach the North Pole, highlighting his contributions during Black History Month.

Mathew Henson  Explorer I think I am going to do a series of PLEASE SOMEONE IN HOLLYWOOD MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THIS PERSON Tell me at the end if you would not sit and binge an entire series about Mathew Henson one of the first people to go to the NorthPole in our Black History month for I Can’t Believe That Happened. Born August 8 1866 on a farm in Maryland He was the middle child with an older and a younger sister His parents were free sharecroppers who escaped to Georgetown after the KKK made southern Maryland too violent to stay. Mathew was orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle in Washington DC. He earned money by washing dishes in a restaurant. During the speeches of 1863 Mathew was deeply inspired by Fredrick Douglas. At the age of 12 he became a cabin boy on the Katie Hines traveling to ports in China, Japan, Africa, and the Russian Arctic.  During his time on the Hines he was educated by the ship’s captain When he returned to land he worked in a clothing store where he met Commander Robert E Peary. Once Robert learned of Mathew’s sea experience eh recruited him for a surveying tour of Nicaragua. Mathew impresses Peary on the voyage and became first man on…

Topics covered

• Black History
• Exploration
• Arctic Expeditions
• Mathew Henson

Keywords

• North Pole
• explorer
• Frederick Douglass
• Inuit

Mentioned in this episode

Products: the Katie Hines, Hines, Roosevelt

Books & works: the Peary Polar Expedition Medal

Places: the North Pole, HOLLYWOOD, NorthPole, Maryland, Georgetown, Washington DC, China, Japan, Africa, the Russian Arctic

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