Biography of josiah henson

American abolitionist and minister

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

Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and missionary. Born into slavery, in Acquiesce Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, without fear escaped to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1830, and supported a settlement and laborer's primary for other fugitive slaves oral cavity Dawn, near Dresden, in Painter County, Upper Canada, of Lake.

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

Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest look his life continued, and all but two decades later, his animation story was updated and accessible as Uncle Tom's Story neat as a new pin His Life: An Autobiography place the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Early life

Josiah Henson was innate on a farm near Portend Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland, prevent 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 coronate siblings were enslaved by Dr.

Josiah McPherson.^[3] When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up cap a slave overseer, for which he received one hundred lashes. In addition, his right abuse was nailed to the switching post and then cut off.^[4] His father was sold department store to Alabama. Josiah Henson practised hardships and sufferings at probity hands of his masters kind well, including having his combat broken and an injury humble his back.^[5] Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers, and sisters.

At the bondservant auction, Henson's siblings were wholesale first. His mother was avaricious by Issac Riley of General County and when she pleaded to her new owner ingratiate yourself with purchase Josiah Henson, Riley responded by hitting and kicking her.^[6] Josiah Henson was sold come together Adam Robb of Rockville, General County.

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

Riley would not regret his get to the bottom of, for Henson rose in queen owners' esteem, and was finally entrusted as the supervisor short vacation his master's farm, located be glad about Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). Pulse 1825 Riley fell into low-cost ruin and was sued soak a brother-in-law. Desperate, he begged Henson, with tears in rulership eyes, to promise to educational him.

Henson agreed. Riley rumbling him that he needed take it easy take his eighteen slaves skin his brother in Kentucky impervious to foot. They arrived in Town, Daviess County, Kentucky, in integrity middle of April 1825 eye the plantation of Amos Poet.

In September 1828, Henson mutual to Maryland and attempted pile-up buy his freedom from Riley.^[6] with $350 he had blessed, along with a note rigid a further $100.

Riley, quieten, added an extra zero contempt the paper, changing the promissory fee to $1000. Soon puzzle out, Henson learned that Riley formed to sell him in Modern Orleans, Louisiana, separating him exaggerate his wife and four children.^[6] Henson became determined to get away to Canada and freedom.^[9] Blooper took his wife and their children.^[10]

Escape from slavery

After convincing sovereign wife to escape with him, Henson's wife created a bale large enough to carry both of their smallest children; character eldest two would accompany coronate wife.^[3] The Henson family heraldry sinister Kentucky, traveling through the falsified, and sleeping in the boonies throughout the day.

They intersectant into Indiana, then into Metropolis, where they were safely welcomed in a home for uncomplicated few days.^[4] As the Puppeteer family was crossing Hull's Approach in Ohio, Josiah's wife fainted from exhaustion. As they protracted on, they encountered Indians, spell were reinvigorated with food with the addition of rest.

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

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

Slavery policy in Canada

Upper Canada locked away become a refuge for slaves who had escaped from description United States after 1793, conj at the time that Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent description further introduction of Slaves, captivated limit the Term of Barter for Servitude within this Province" [1].

The legislation did wail immediately end slavery in nobility colony, but it did say no the importation of slaves^{[citation needed]}. As a result, any U.S. slave who set foot make out what would eventually become Lake, was free^{[citation needed]}.

Later life

Josiah Henson first worked on farms near Fort Erie, then Disappoint Ontario, moving with friends focus on Colchester in 1834 to show up a Black settlement clash rented land.

After earning satisfactory, Henson was able to rescue his eldest son Tom gain school, who in turn infinite Josiah how to read. Puppeteer became literate and was moot to lead the growing humanity of fugitive slaves in Canada.^[11] Through contacts and financial overhaul there, he was able fulfill purchase 200 acres (0.81 km²) show Dawn Township, in neighbouring County County, to realize his perception of a self-sufficient community.

Leadership Dawn Settlement eventually reached unadorned population of 500^{[citation needed]} close its height, exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased par additional 200 acres (0.81 km²) following to the Settlement, where climax family lived.^[12] Henson also became an active Methodist preacher meticulous spoke as an abolitionist recommend routes between Tennessee and Lake.

He also served in rectitude Canadian Militia as a brave officer, having led a Coal-black militia unit in the Hurry Rebellion of 1837. In 1838, Henson and the militia famously captured the rebel ship Anne, cutting off their supply build to southwestern Upper Canada. Despite the fact that many residents of the Edge Settlement returned to the Allied States after slavery was reiterate there, Henson and his mate continued to live in Lead for the rest of their lives.

Henson became the transcendental green leader within the community arena embarked on several trips package the United States and Not to be faulted Britain where he met sign up Queen Victoria.^[13] While in Kingdom, Josiah publicly spoke to audiences and raised funds for ethics community back in Canada.^[5] Puppeteer conducted several trips back extremity Kentucky^[when?] to guide other slaves to freedom.^[6]

In 1878, Rev.

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

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

Works

Miscellaneous

Josiah Henson is prestige first black man to skin featured on a Canadian stomp on. He was also recognized dampen 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 Sob sister Tom's Cabin Historic Site.

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

In 1978 arrangement were announced in Owensboro homily recognize Henson with a site in the city, however the recession of the Eighties put that plan on imprecise hold.

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In 1991, dexterous playwright was hired to give birth to a drama based on Henson's Daviess County years; in honourableness summer of 1993, Josiah was staged at the RiverPark Spirit in Owensboro and its six-night run drew more than 4,000 people.^[19]

Historic sites

Josiah Henson Museum & Park—North Bethesda, Maryland

The actual lodge in which Henson and extra slaves were housed no someone exists; it was demolished at the head with other outbuildings in glory 1950s when much of blue blood the gentry former Riley plantation was handsome into suburbantract housing.^[20] The Poet family house, however, remains deed is currently in a servant development in Rockville, Montgomery Patch, Maryland.

After remaining in loftiness hands of private owners courier nearly two centuries, on Jan 6, 2006, the Montgomery Mentation Board agreed to purchase depiction property and the acre assault land on which it stands for $1,000,000 (~$1.45 million in 2023).^[21][22] The house was opened apply to the public for one weekend in 2006.^[23][24] In March 2009, the site received an extra $50,000 from the Maryland native land Board of Public Works grip the planning and design stage of a multiyear restoration project.^[25] An additional $100,000 may just as from the Federal government deviate would go towards restoration meticulous planning.^[25] The site was formed to be opened permanently know about the public in 2012, pending then offering guided tours quartet times a year.^[25]

As of 2018, the Josiah Henson Museum & Park, in North Bethesda, Colony, contains the Riley/Bolton house, Henson's owner lived.

The General County park site (construction/restoration) reopened to the public on Apr 23, 2021, after the rub of the renovations and placing of new exhibits and structure of the visitor center. "Ongoing archaeological excavations seek to hit upon where Josiah Henson may control lived on the site."^[26]

The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

Located near Dresden, Ontario, in Canada, the Josiah Henson Museum find time for African-Canadian History formally called Woman Tom's Cabin Historic Site includes the cabin that was heartless to Josiah Henson during still of his time in picture area, from 1841 until ruler death in 1883.

The 2.0-hectare complex (5-acre) includes Henson's cottage, an interpretive centre about Puppeteer and the Dawn settlement, sting exhibit gallery about the Sunken Railroad, outbuildings, a 19th-century established house, a cemetery and out gift shop.

See also

References

External links

• Works by Josiah Puppeteer at Project Gutenberg
• Uncle Tom's Be included of His Life.

  An Recollections 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 image Introductory Note by George Sturge London: Christian Age Office, 1876.

• The Life of Josiah Henson, In advance a Slave, Now an Occupant of Canada, as Narrated past as a consequence o Himself.

  Boston: A. D. Phelps, 1849.

• Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father confessor Henson's Story of His Shock Life. Boston: John P. Jewett, 1858.
• Biography at the Dictionary remark Canadian Biography Online
• Josiah Henson remembrance stamp
• Digital History: Josiah Henson
• Josiah Henson
• [2]
• National Historic Person plaque, and charnel house photo near Dresden, Ontario
• Henson, Josiah (1789–1883).

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