Great Men Have Great Assistants “As I stood there on the top of the world and I thought of the hundreds of men who had lost their lives in their effort to reach it [North Pole], I felt profoundly grateful that I had the honor of representing my race.” With these words, Matthew Henson planted the American flag on the North Pole. During the past, black Americans have not received the acknowledgement they deserved. Such was the case of Matthew A. Henson. He wasthe first person to discover the North Pole, although Robert Peary is usually creditedwith this feat. Henson passed away in relative obscurity, in 1955, and was not givenrecognition until 1988, when he was reburied in Arlington National Cemetery withfull honors.Matthew Henson was born on August 3, 1866 in Baltimore, Maryland.He was raised in Carrol County. At an early age, Henson’s mother died, leaving himalone to live with his father. Unfortunately the family experienced problems with theKlu Klux Klan. To escape the problems and make a better life for his son, Henson’sfather moved the family to Washington, D.C.. While Henson’s father worked, hetook care of the elderly uncle they lived with. While still living in WashingtonHenson’s father died, leaving him in care of his uncle. The uncle was mean andabusive to the point that it caused him to runaway from the only home he had. Forawhile, 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 smallrestaurant. The owner hired Henson to sweep and mop the floors, clean the kitchenand wash the dishes. Henson had no place to stay so they owner let him sleep on thefloor of the restaurant after closing.One day, Henson saw a sign advertising a ship captain looking foryoung men to work on his ship. Since he had nothing better to do, Henson decidedto sign up. That was the beginning of Henson’s sailing career. For the...
