Matthew Henson Biography

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Proving Them Wrong Dreams. Hard work. Seclusion. This is the story of Matthew Henson’s life. Henson accomplished so much, yet, because of the color of his skin, didn’t receive the recognition he deserved until his old ages. To be clear, Matthew Henson persevered through prejudice and unforgiving terrain, became an important explorer of the Arctic, and was rewarded for his deeds. One of Henson’s most admirable traits was his perseverance and determination. Before his job with Peary (the man Henson later assisted), he worked aboard a different ship (“Encyclopedia.com”). There, he experienced harsh prejudice with one crew member. Beaten and humiliated, he quit the job. He didn’t stop there, though. He persevered even after the embarrassment. (“Encyclopedia.com”). Additionally, he didn’t have the most pleasant childhood. Henson’s mother died when he was young, so his uncle took care of him (“Encyclopedia.com”). Not only this, but later in life when he carried out his life’s dreams of meaningful exploration, Matthew Henson didn’t receive all that he deserved. According to Encyclopedia.com, “because of racial prejudice, [he] was not credited as the co-discoverer of the [north pole] region until the late 1980s.” After all of this hardship, Henson chose to not give up just yet. So, what did Matthew Henson do exactly? Well, as one have may already …show more content…

Although, Henson was African American, and he didn’t receive much fame (“Bio.com”). It was only till later in his life that he finally got some praise for his accomplishments. One of his achievements was being invited to the White House (“Bio.com”). But that’s not all! Bio.com states, “The highly regarded Explorers Club in New York accepted him as an honorary member, and the U.S. Navy awarded him a medal in 1946.” But wait, there’s more. Matthew Henson received a cherished gold medal from the Chicago Geographic Society as well

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