On his final Arctic expedition, Robert E. Peary sailed from New York on the SS Roosevelt in July 1908 with the objective of reaching the North Pole. He took 23 men with them and wintered over on Ellesmere Island. On February 28, 2009, Peary set out due north with his dog teams and sleds. The last support party turned back on April 1. On the final stage of the trip, Peary continued on with his African-American assistant Matthew Henson and four Inuit, and established Camp Jesup within 5 miles of the Pole on April 6. He is creditedâwith substantial justificationâfor being, on April 6, 1909, the first person to reach the North Pole.
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