Black-History.com is in its founding phase. Join the founding subscriber list →
Classroom · Grades 5–12

Matthew Henson

Henson’s essential role in Peary’s expeditions, and the decades before he was recognized, show how the achievements of Black and Indigenous people were written out of the heroic age of exploration.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 5–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 3 (People, Places, and Environments) and 2 (Time, Continuity, and Change); C3 D2.His.6.6-8, D2.Geo.5.6-8
Reading
Matthew Henson (profile)

Big Idea

Henson’s essential role in Peary’s expeditions, and the decades before he was recognized, show how the achievements of Black and Indigenous people were written out of the heroic age of exploration.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Matthew Henson, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. Henson learned the language and survival skills of the Inughuit. Why were those skills, and the four Inuit men on the final march, essential to the expedition’s success?
  2. Peary was promoted to rear admiral while the press often described Henson as a servant. What explains the difference in how the two men were treated after 1909?
  3. Historians still disagree about whether the party reached the geographic Pole. Why is it so hard to verify a claim like this, and what is not in dispute?
  4. Henson was reburied at Arlington National Cemetery in 1988. What does late recognition accomplish, and what can it never repair?

Activity

Students read a selected chapter from Henson’s 1912 memoir A Negro Explorer at the North Pole describing the final march toward the Pole. In pairs they list the skills, tools, and people Henson credits for the party’s survival. The class then compares Henson’s own account with the profile’s description of how the press treated him after 1909, and discusses why a first-person source matters when official credit went to someone else. Students finish by writing a short plaque inscription for Henson (25–35 minutes).

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: Matthew Henson.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/matthew-henson/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Matthew Henson. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/matthew-henson/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Matthew Henson.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/matthew-henson/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

← All lessons  ·  Read the profile →