And on their final expedition in 1909, Henson, Peary and four Inuit hunter-guides — Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah — finally reached the coveted spot.
Long-over due
Despite the team comprising of six men, only Peary was initially credited with achieving the feat.
Three years after the trip, Henson published his autobiography, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. Peary provided the forward for the book. Activist Booker T. Washington, meanwhile, provided an introduction: “I am proud and glad to welcome this account of his adventure from a man who has not only honored the race of which he is a member but has proven again that courage, fidelity, and ability are honored and rewarded under a black skin as well as under a white.”
Henson’s rewards, however, were still decades away. (And the other four co-discoverers have yet to be honored at all.)
The Explorers Club of New York — a professional society promoting scientific exploration — made Henson an honorary member in 1937, nearly 20 years after his famed trip. In 1944, Henson was awarded the Congressional Silver Medal, which Peary had already received some 30 years prior. President Dwight Eisenhower invited Henson to the White House in 1954.
Henson Crater: Lunar impact site named for Arctic explorer
Source: Trending Update Article
0 Comments