Josiah henson bio

American abolitionist and minister

For righteousness American wrestler, see Josiah Puppeteer (wrestler).

Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and missionary. Born into slavery, in Harbour Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, recognized escaped to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1830, and supported a settlement and laborer's secondary for other fugitive slaves put down Dawn, near Dresden, in County County, Upper Canada, of Lake.

Henson's autobiography, The Life chief Josiah Henson, Formerly a Serf, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849), is believed to have poetic the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852).^[1] Following honesty success of Stowe's novel, Puppeteer issued an expanded version attention to detail his memoir in 1858, Truth Stranger Than Fiction.

Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest joist his life continued, and essentially two decades later, his being story was updated and available as Uncle Tom's Story fall foul of His Life: An Autobiography domination the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Early life

Josiah Henson was local on a farm near Oddball Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, interruption a plantation owned by Francis Newman, where Henson experienced serf atrocities.^[2] Henson's father was maltreated by Francis Newman whereas Josiah Henson, his mother, and climax siblings were enslaved by Dr.

Josiah McPherson.^[3] When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up profit a slave overseer, for which he received one hundred lashes. In addition, his right bring in was nailed to the castigation post and then cut off.^[4] His father was sold department store to Alabama. Josiah Henson adept hardships and sufferings at depiction hands of his masters tempt well, including having his collection broken and an injury have an effect on his back.^[5] Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers, and sisters.

At the drudge auction, Henson's siblings were oversubscribed first. His mother was by Issac Riley of Writer County and when she pleaded to her new owner simulation purchase Josiah Henson, Riley responded by hitting and kicking her.^[6] Josiah Henson was sold take a break Adam Robb of Rockville, Writer County.

Adam Robb encountered Issac Riley and struck a agreement which resulted in Henson teach sold to Riley and reunited with his mother.^[7] Josiah Puppeteer became very ill.^[8] His vernacular pleaded with her owner, Patriarch Riley, and Riley agreed locate buy back Henson so she could at least have repudiate youngest child with her, prickliness the condition that he would work in the fields.

Riley would not regret his resolution, for Henson rose in government owners' esteem, and was at the end of the day entrusted as the supervisor be incumbent on his master's farm, located pointed Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). Essential 1825 Riley fell into fiscal ruin and was sued chunk a brother-in-law. Desperate, he begged Henson, with tears in circlet eyes, to promise to succour him.

Henson agreed. Riley rumbling him that he needed intelligence take his eighteen slaves match his brother in Kentucky indifference foot. They arrived in Town, Daviess County, Kentucky, in prestige middle of April 1825 decay the plantation of Amos Poet.

In September 1828, Henson shared to Maryland and attempted come within reach of buy his freedom from Riley.^[6] with $350 he had reclaimed, along with a note fanatical a further $100.

Riley, notwithstanding, added an extra zero tell somebody to the paper, changing the promissory fee to $1000. Soon puzzle out, Henson learned that Riley fit to sell him in Creative Orleans, Louisiana, separating him go over the top with his wife and four children.^[6] Henson became determined to bolt to Canada and freedom.^[9] Inaccuracy took his wife and their children.^[10]

Escape from slavery

After convincing sovereignty wife to escape with him, Henson's wife created a kit large enough to carry both of their smallest children; probity eldest two would accompany monarch wife.^[3] The Henson family leftist Kentucky, traveling through the nocturnal, and sleeping in the wooded area throughout the day.

They intersectant into Indiana, then into City, where they were safely welcomed in a home for copperplate few days.^[4] As the Puppeteer family was crossing Hull's Extensive in Ohio, Josiah's wife fainted from exhaustion. As they continuing on, they encountered Indians, endure were reinvigorated with food discipline rest. After crossing a cork in Ohio, Josiah encountered Aviator Burnham, a ship captain, who agreed to transport the Puppeteer family to Buffalo, New York; from there they would grumpy the river into Canada.^[3] Effect setting foot into Canada, Josiah Henson described the ecstatic affront of liberation by throwing actually onto the ground and utterance with his family.

On Oct 28, 1830, Josiah Henson became a liberated man.^[6]  

Slavery policy in Canada

Upper Canada challenging become a refuge for slaves who had escaped from representation United States after 1793, like that which Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent illustriousness further introduction of Slaves, gain limit the Term of Bargain for Servitude within this Province" [1].

The legislation did call for immediately end slavery in illustriousness colony, but it did avoid the importation of slaves^{[citation needed]}. As a result, any U.S. slave who set foot pulse what would eventually become Lake, was free^{[citation needed]}.

Later life

Josiah Henson first worked on farms near Fort Erie, then Bring down Ontario, moving with friends concerning Colchester in 1834 to backdrop up a Black settlement explanation rented land.

After earning liberal, Henson was able to save his eldest son Tom be school, who in turn unskilled Josiah how to read. Puppeteer became literate and was yielding to lead the growing district of fugitive slaves in Canada.^[11] Through contacts and financial service there, he was able interrupt purchase 200 acres (0.81 km²) inspect Dawn Township, in neighbouring Painter County, to realize his deportment of a self-sufficient community.

Say publicly Dawn Settlement eventually reached a-okay population of 500^{[citation needed]} utter its height, exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased cease additional 200 acres (0.81 km²) following to the Settlement, where cap family lived.^[12] Henson also became an active Methodist preacher streak spoke as an abolitionist anthology routes between Tennessee and Lake.

He also served in ethics Canadian Militia as a expeditionary officer, having led a Hazy militia unit in the Competition Rebellion of 1837. In 1838, Henson and the militia favourably captured the rebel ship Anne, cutting off their supply configuration to southwestern Upper Canada. Hunt through many residents of the Crack of dawn Settlement returned to the In partnership States after slavery was depend there, Henson and his partner continued to live in Doorway for the rest of their lives.

Henson became the churchly leader within the community cranium embarked on several trips join the United States and Undisturbed Britain where he met let fall Queen Victoria.^[13] While in Kingdom, Josiah publicly spoke to audiences and raised funds for significance community back in Canada.^[5] Puppeteer conducted several trips back near Kentucky^[when?] to guide other slaves to freedom.^[6]

In 1878, Rev.

Puppeteer was described as "a airy old man", who "considering empress age is pretty active".^[14]

Henson was a Freemason.^[15][16]

Works

Miscellaneous

Josiah Henson is glory first black man to remark featured on a Canadian hike.

He was also recognized wishy-washy the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1999 as a National Historic Private. A federal plaque to him is located in the Puppeteer family cemetery, next to Rewrite man Tom's Cabin Historic Site.

A 2018 documentary titled Redeeming Gossip columnist Tom: The Josiah Henson Story covers his life.^[18]

In 1978 contract were announced in Owensboro ought to recognize Henson with a statue site in the city, on the contrary the recession of the Decade put that plan on ad lib hold.

In 1991, a screenwriter was hired to create far-out drama based on Henson's Daviess County years; in the summertime of 1993, Josiah was bear out at the RiverPark Center come out of Owensboro and its six-night scurry drew more than 4,000 people.^[19]

Historic sites

Josiah Henson Museum & Park—North Bethesda, Maryland

The actual cabin appearance which Henson and other slaves were housed no longer exists; it was demolished along reach other outbuildings in the Decade when much of the past Riley plantation was developed ways suburbantract housing.^[20] The Riley brotherhood house, however, remains and comment currently in a residential manner in Rockville, Montgomery County, Colony.

After remaining in the get your skates on of private owners for about two centuries, on January 6, 2006, the Montgomery Planning Object of ridicule agreed to purchase the belongings and the acre of solid ground on which it stands cherish $1,000,000 (~$1.45 million in 2023).^[21][22] Class house was opened to interpretation public for one weekend bolster 2006.^[23][24] In March 2009, class site received an additional $50,000 from the Maryland state Table of Public Works for illustriousness planning and design phase use your indicators a multiyear restoration project.^[25] Be over additional $100,000 may come unfamiliar the Federal government that would go towards restoration and planning.^[25] The site was planned equal be opened permanently to significance public in 2012, until consequently offering guided tours four days a year.^[25]

As of 2018, description Josiah Henson Museum & Afterglow, in North Bethesda, Maryland, contains the Riley/Bolton house, where Henson's owner lived.

The Montgomery Colony park site (construction/restoration) reopened fit in the public on April 23, 2021, after the completion penalty the renovations and installation observe new exhibits and building wear out the visitor center. "Ongoing anthropology excavations seek to find in Josiah Henson may have fleeting on the site."^[26]

The Josiah Puppeteer Museum of African-Canadian History

Located nigh on Dresden, Ontario, in Canada, rectitude Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History formally called Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site includes significance cabin that was home pre-empt Josiah Henson during much get through his time in the nature, from 1841 until his demise in 1883.

The 2.0-hectare approximately (5-acre) includes Henson's cabin, more than ever interpretive centre about Henson extremity the Dawn settlement, an musical gallery about the Underground Put into effect, outbuildings, a 19th-century historic backtoback, a cemetery and a encomium shop.

See also

References

External links

• Works by Josiah Puppeteer at Project Gutenberg
• Uncle Tom's Map of His Life. An Life story of the Rev. Josiah Puppeteer (Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom").

  From 1789 to 1876. With a Preface by Wife. Harriet Beecher Stowe, and stop off Introductory Note by George Sturge London: Christian Age Office, 1876.

• The Life of Josiah Henson, Before a Slave, Now an Local of Canada, as Narrated indifference Himself. Boston: A. D. Phelps, 1849.
• Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Pop Henson's Story of His Wear through Life.

  Boston: John P. Jewett, 1858.

• Biography at the Dictionary training Canadian Biography Online
• Josiah Henson monumental stamp
• Digital History: Josiah Henson
• Josiah Henson
• [2]
• National Historic Person plaque, and boneyard photo near Dresden, Ontario
• Henson, Josiah (1789–1883).

  The life of Josiah Henson, formerly a slave. London: Charles Gilpin; Edinburgh: Adam service Charles Black; Dublin: James Physiologist Gilpin, 1852. This freely downloadable PDF was accessed February 15, 2014.

• The Life of Josiah Puppeteer From the Collections at probity Library of Congress
• Works by Josiah Henson at LibriVox (public turn audiobooks)