Henson was born into slavery in Maryland in 1798 but eventually escaped to Canada with his wife, Nancy, and their children in 1830. Henson chose not to escape from slavery when the opportunity first ...

This was an opinion shared by the Inuit, who respected Henson for his immersion in their culture. Of Peary's crew, only Henson was fluent in Inuktitut, and could drive a sledge with native prowess.