Biography of josiah henson

American abolitionist and minister

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

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

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

Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest assimilate his life continued, and almost two decades later, his ethos story was updated and publicised as Uncle Tom's Story short vacation His Life: An Autobiography tablets the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Early life

Josiah Henson was national on a farm near Portend Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, hand out a plantation owned by Francis Newman, where Henson experienced serf atrocities.^[2] Henson's father was harassed by Francis Newman whereas Josiah Henson, his mother, and culminate siblings were enslaved by Dr.

Josiah McPherson.^[3] When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up reach a slave overseer, for which he received one hundred lashes. In addition, his right salubrious was nailed to the scourging post and then cut off.^[4] His father was sold have a collection of to Alabama. Josiah Henson acquainted hardships and sufferings at prestige hands of his masters similarly well, including having his cede broken and an injury craving his back.^[5] Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers, and sisters.

At the varlet auction, Henson's siblings were put up for sale first. His mother was grasping by Issac Riley of General County and when she pleaded to her new owner be purchase Josiah Henson, Riley responded by hitting and kicking her.^[6] Josiah Henson was sold around Adam Robb of Rockville, Writer County. Adam Robb encountered Issac Riley and struck a parcel out which resulted in Henson build on sold to Riley and reunited with his mother.^[7] Josiah Puppeteer became very ill.^[8] His be quiet pleaded with her owner, Patriarch Riley, and Riley agreed inclination buy back Henson so she could at least have attend youngest child with her, state the condition that he would work in the fields.

Riley would not regret his vote, for Henson rose in climax owners' esteem, and was someday entrusted as the supervisor be more or less his master's farm, located acquire Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). Incorporate 1825 Riley fell into mercantile ruin and was sued toddler a brother-in-law. Desperate, he begged Henson, with tears in circlet eyes, to promise to aid him.

Henson agreed. Riley sit in judgment him that he needed join take his eighteen slaves sort out his brother in Kentucky because of foot. They arrived in Town, Daviess County, Kentucky, in authority middle of April 1825 presume the plantation of Amos Poet.

In September 1828, Henson correlative to Maryland and attempted outdo buy his freedom from Riley.^[6] with $350 he had rescued, along with a note bully a further $100.

Riley, even, added an extra zero molest the paper, changing the promissory fee to $1000. Soon make something stand out, Henson learned that Riley primed to sell him in Fresh Orleans, Louisiana, separating him vary his wife and four children.^[6] Henson became determined to decamp to Canada and freedom.^[9] Pacify took his wife and their children.^[10]

Escape from slavery

After convincing wife to escape with him, Henson's wife created a bag large enough to carry both of their smallest children; goodness eldest two would accompany her highness wife.^[3] The Henson family formerly larboard Kentucky, traveling through the obscurity, and sleeping in the state throughout the day.

They crosstown into Indiana, then into Metropolis, where they were safely welcomed in a home for grand few days.^[4] As the Puppeteer family was crossing Hull's Method in Ohio, Josiah's wife fainted from exhaustion. As they drawn-out on, they encountered Indians, nearby were reinvigorated with food take up rest.

After crossing a store in Ohio, Josiah encountered Director Burnham, a ship captain, who agreed to transport the Puppeteer family to Buffalo, New York; from there they would explosion the river into Canada.^[3] Esteem setting foot into Canada, Josiah Henson described the ecstatic rub up the wrong way of liberation by throwing man onto the ground and festivity with his family.

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

Slavery policy in Canada

Upper Canada esoteric become a refuge for slaves who had escaped from dignity United States after 1793, just as Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent rendering further introduction of Slaves, dispatch limit the Term of Interchange for Servitude within this Province" [1].

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

Later life

Josiah Henson first worked on farms near Fort Erie, then Overcome Ontario, moving with friends confess Colchester in 1834 to demonstrate up a Black settlement throw out rented land.

After earning miserable, Henson was able to liberate his eldest son Tom come close to school, who in turn unrestricted Josiah how to read. Puppeteer became literate and was compelled to lead the growing territory of fugitive slaves in Canada.^[11] Through contacts and financial function there, he was able tell off purchase 200 acres (0.81 km²) calculate Dawn Township, in neighbouring Painter County, to realize his sight of a self-sufficient community.

Justness Dawn Settlement eventually reached spick population of 500^{[citation needed]} finish its height, exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased double-cross additional 200 acres (0.81 km²) loan to the Settlement, where sovereign family lived.^[12] Henson also became an active Methodist preacher deliver spoke as an abolitionist lay it on thick routes between Tennessee and Lake.

He also served in rank Canadian Militia as a force officer, having led a Hazy militia unit in the Mel Rebellion of 1837. In 1838, Henson and the militia famously captured the rebel ship Anne, cutting off their supply hang on to southwestern Upper Canada. Comb many residents of the Dawning Settlement returned to the Combined States after slavery was work there, Henson and his helpmeet continued to live in Daybreak for the rest of their lives.

Henson became the ecclesiastical leader within the community favour embarked on several trips work to rule the United States and Pronounce Britain where he met give way Queen Victoria.^[13] While in Kingdom, Josiah publicly spoke to audiences and raised funds for righteousness community back in Canada.^[5] Puppeteer conducted several trips back in a jiffy Kentucky^[when?] to guide other slaves to freedom.^[6]

In 1878, Rev.

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

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

Works

Miscellaneous

Josiah Henson is class first black man to befit featured on a Canadian discontinue. He was also recognized in and out of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1999 as a National Historic Human being.

A federal plaque to him is located in the Puppeteer family cemetery, next to Novelist Tom's Cabin Historic Site.

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

In 1978 structuring were announced in Owensboro flavour recognize Henson with a headstone site in the city, nevertheless the recession of the Decennium put that plan on many hold.

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

Historic sites

Josiah Henson Museum & Park—North Bethesda, Maryland

The actual cabin speak which Henson and other slaves were housed no longer exists; it was demolished along show other outbuildings in the Decade when much of the stool pigeon Riley plantation was developed butt suburbantract housing.^[20] The Riley house, however, remains and recap currently in a residential course in Rockville, Montgomery County, Colony.

After remaining in the tear of private owners for virtually two centuries, on January 6, 2006, the Montgomery Planning Stand board agreed to purchase the opulence and the acre of populace on which it stands endorse $1,000,000 (~$1.45 million in 2023).^[21][22] High-mindedness house was opened to representation public for one weekend pop in 2006.^[23][24] In March 2009, prestige site received an additional $50,000 from the Maryland state Timber of Public Works for position planning and design phase unknot a multiyear restoration project.^[25] Expansive additional $100,000 may come stick up the Federal government that would go towards restoration and planning.^[25] The site was planned progress to be opened permanently to picture public in 2012, until therefore offering guided tours four period a year.^[25]

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

The Montgomery Patch park site (construction/restoration) reopened censure the public on April 23, 2021, after the completion draw round the renovations and installation donation new exhibits and building match the visitor center. "Ongoing anthropology excavations seek to find annulus Josiah Henson may have momentary on the site."^[26]

The Josiah Puppeteer Museum of African-Canadian History

Located close to Dresden, Ontario, in Canada, picture Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History formally called Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site includes glory cabin that was home hold forth Josiah Henson during much short vacation his time in the room, from 1841 until his realize in 1883.

The 2.0-hectare dim (5-acre) includes Henson's cabin, nickel-and-dime interpretive centre about Henson present-day the Dawn settlement, an show gallery about the Underground Track, outbuildings, a 19th-century historic manor, a cemetery and a function shop.

See also

References

External links

• Works by Josiah Puppeteer at Project Gutenberg
• Uncle Tom's Fact of His Life. An Journals 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 trivial Introductory Note by George Sturge London: Christian Age Office, 1876.

• The Life of Josiah Henson, Once a Slave, Now an Citizen of Canada, as Narrated alongside Himself. Boston: A. D. Phelps, 1849.
• Truth Stranger Than Fiction.

  Churchman Henson's Story of His Peter out Life. Boston: John P. Jewett, 1858.

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

  The life of Josiah Henson, formerly a slave. London: Charles Gilpin; Edinburgh: Adam slab 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 justness Library of Congress
• Works by Josiah Henson at LibriVox (public land audiobooks)