BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Bethesda -- Josiah Henson Special Park

MD -- Bethesda -- Josiah Henson Special Park:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. HENSON_211203_009.JPG: How Did Josiah Henson Help Free Enslaved People? Experiencing firsthand the evils of slavery, Josiah Henson chose not just to free himself, but to help others escape their bondage. After he safely arrived in Canada with his wife and children, he set out to raise funds to pay for his brother John's freedom. He earned money to publishing his slave narrative -- the story of his life, including his enslavement in Maryland. He later returned to the United States and risked his life as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping lead over one hundred others to freedom.
2. HENSON_211203_019.JPG: Who Was Josiah Henson? Born in 1789 in Maryland to enslaved parents, Josiah Henson lived in slavery until 1830. For most of that time, he worked and lived on the Isaac Riley plantation, where he sustained humiliation, deprivation, and crippling violence. After a life of extraordinary hardship, Henson escaped to Canada, then published his memoir (or life story) in 1849. His story inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 abolitionist novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
3. HENSON_211203_022.JPG: In honor of two unnamed boys aged under 14 enslaved on the Riley Plantation circa 1820
4. HENSON_211203_025.JPG: You were never a slave God made you a man Greed distorted lies Enslaved you You survived inhumane atrocities we are demanding freedom Marlene and Jim Moss
5. HENSON_211203_027.JPG: In honor of two unnamed girls aged under 14 Enslaved on the Riley Plantation circa 1820
6. HENSON_211203_029.JPG: In honor of Catherine Leggett and the campaign committee With gratitude Julie Carter & James M. Roberts
7. HENSON_211203_031.JPG: Josiah Henson Park
8. HENSON_211203_038.JPG: Josiah Henson Museum & Park Montgomery Parks
9. HENSON_211203_054.JPG: Whose House Was This? This is the historic Riley-Bolten House, built circa 1800. The log structure attached to the house is a kitchen built in 1850. Until 1864, this plantation was worked by enslaved people. Josiah Henson lived in quarters elsewhere on the plantation. Renovations were made to the house in 1939 by the Bolton family in Colonial Revival style.
10. HENSON_211203_078.JPG: From Slavery to Freedom The Life of Josiah Henson
11. HENSON_211203_082.JPG: From Slavery to Freedom The Life of Josiah Henson
12. HENSON_211203_131.JPG: The Riley Plantation This illustration imagines what the property looked like 200 years ago when Josiah Henson was enslaved here. The Riley House was positioned on a hill above Old Georgetown Road. A number of outbuildings were scattered around the property to house enslaved people, shelter livestock, and store goods. To the west and north, a series of fields stretched as far as the eye could see. [Captions:] Slave Quarters An array of small building served as living quarters for the men, women, and children -- as many as 22 -- enslaved here. Overseer's House This building was home to the Rileys' white overseer. It is possible that Josiah Henson moved in with his family when he was named overseer. Meathouse Also known as a smokehouse, this structure held meat that was smoked and stored for future use. In the days before refrigeration, preserved meat held high value. Bank Barn In addition to growing field crops, Isaac Riley also kept livestock on the farm, including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens. Riley House The timber frame house that was home to the Riley family was the focal point of this early 1800s plantation. Henson referred to it as a well-furnished "great house." Log Kitchen In the kitchen, the enslaved cook prepared meals for the Riley family. The log walls of the kitchen standing today date to 1850. The Plantation Over Time 1863 Border (262 acres) Today (3.35 acres)
13. HENSON_211203_139.JPG: Josiah Henson Born into slavery in 1789, Josiah Henson was purchased as a child by Adam Robb and transferred here to the Riley plantation in 1795. The Rileys enslaved him for over 30 years until he escaped with his wife and children from Kentucky to Canada. In 1849, he published a written narrative of his life in slavery, describing in detail the labor and suffering endured here. Henson became an internationally known celebrity who traveled the world to share his story and build a better life for the former slaves from the U.S. who lived in his Dawn Settlement in Ontario. Henson and Uncle Tom's Cabin The same year that Henson published his narrative, 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe began work on Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional account of slavery, releasing it one chapter at a time. As she later noted in her A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853), her sources included personal interviews and observations as well as written accounts. In the Key, she revealed that "the venerable Josiah Henson" who was "'raised' in the State of Maryland" was one of the inspirations for the character Uncle Tom. Later, Stowe wrote the preface to the 1858 version of Henson's expanded narrative. Slavery in Maryland From its foundation as a colony in 1634 until the state abolished the institution in 1864, chattel slavery was legal in Maryland. During those 230 years, the labor of enslaved people of African descent provided the foundation for Maryland's economy. Changes in early 1800s agricultural practices diminished dependence on slavery, resulting in a drop in the state's enslaved population. Marylanders participated in the lucrative domestic slave trade, splitting enslaved families as they ere sold to plantations in the Deep South. This scenario occurred among the enslaved people held here by the Riley family. [Captions:] Enslaved laborers fought their oppression through various types of resistance. In addition to smaller acts of rebellion, violence that generated fear was not unheard of. This 1806 Montgomery County court record describes enslaved laborers poisoning a slave holder and his wife. The auction block was a sad reality for thousands of enslaved laborers. This 1810 ad announced a public sale at Adam Robb's home in Rockville. Robb purchased Josiah Henson at auction in 1795 and later traded him to Isaac Riley. The Evolution of Slavery in Montgomery County * 1790: 879 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,030 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,003 * 1800: 864 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,288 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,058 * 1810: 934 owners; avg. 9 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 8,056 [total enslaved people]; total county population 17,980 * Following the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808, a heavier reliance on enslaved families to replenish the labor supply meant a substantial percentage of enslaved people were, in fact, children. * 1820: 522 owners, avg. 13 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 6,936 [total enslaved people]; total county population 16,400 * In 1825, Josiah Henson recalled there were 22 enslaved people including 2 of his own children, at the Riley plantation. * 1830: 830 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 47% under the age of 14 6,447 [total enslaved people]; total county population 19,816 * 1840: 1,124 owners, avg. 5 slaves each; 47% under the age of 10 5,377 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,456 * 1850: 837 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 45% under the age of 14 5,114[total enslaved people]; total county population 15,860 * 1860: 762 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 44% under the age of 14 4,903 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,322 Most Montgomery County farms had 10 or fewer slaves, significantly less than the 22 owned by Isaac Riley. From 1790 to 1860, only 17 county masters had 50 or more slaves. A considerable segment of the enslaved population were eight years or younger. Riley had four enslaved children in captivity in 1820. For the enslaved, even completing an assigned task could result in bodily hard. Brice Letton (also spelled Bryce Litton -- who served as overseer for George Riley, Isaac Riley's older brother) proved that if a "servant" crossed his path, as Henson experienced, there were repercussions. Henson was described by one of his contemporaries as "a negro of unyielding tenacity, unfailing resources, quick wit, and also a deep piety... strong in muscle and constitution." Such qualities supported Harriet Beecher Stowe's assessment: "the numerous friends of the author of this work will need no greater recommendation than his name to make it welcome." Josiah Henson published the first version of his slave narrative in 1849, covering his life to that point. He published four later versions, adding information about his later life and addressing his connection to Uncle Tom's Cabin. The author of more than 30 books, Harriet Beecher Stowe secured her place in history with her widespread popularity and impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which turned American minds against slavery.
14. HENSON_211203_143.JPG: Slavery in Maryland From its foundation as a colony in 1634 until the state abolished the institution in 1864, chattel slavery was legal in Maryland. During those 230 years, the labor of enslaved people of African descent provided the foundation for Maryland's economy. Changes in early 1800s agricultural practices diminished dependence on slavery, resulting in a drop in the state's enslaved population. Marylanders participated in the lucrative domestic slave trade, splitting enslaved families as they ere sold to plantations in the Deep South. This scenario occurred among the enslaved people held here by the Riley family. [Captions:] Enslaved laborers fought their oppression through various types of resistance. In addition to smaller acts of rebellion, violence that generated fear was not unheard of. This 1806 Montgomery County court record describes enslaved laborers poisoning a slave holder and his wife. The auction block was a sad reality for thousands of enslaved laborers. This 1810 ad announced a public sale at Adam Robb's home in Rockville. Robb purchased Josiah Henson at auction in 1795 and later traded him to Isaac Riley. The Evolution of Slavery in Montgomery County * 1790: 879 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,030 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,003 * 1800: 864 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,288 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,058 * 1810: 934 owners; avg. 9 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 8,056 [total enslaved people]; total county population 17,980 * Following the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808, a heavier reliance on enslaved families to replenish the labor supply meant a substantial percentage of enslaved people were, in fact, children. * 1820: 522 owners, avg. 13 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 6,936 [total enslaved people]; total county population 16,400 * In 1825, Josiah Henson recalled there were 22 enslaved people including 2 of his own children, at the Riley plantation. * 1830: 830 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 47% under the age of 14 6,447 [total enslaved people]; total county population 19,816 * 1840: 1,124 owners, avg. 5 slaves each; 47% under the age of 10 5,377 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,456 * 1850: 837 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 45% under the age of 14 5,114[total enslaved people]; total county population 15,860 * 1860: 762 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 44% under the age of 14 4,903 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,322 Most Montgomery County farms had 10 or fewer slaves, significantly less than the 22 owned by Isaac Riley. From 1790 to 1860, only 17 county masters had 50 or more slaves. A considerable segment of the enslaved population were eight years or younger. Riley had four enslaved children in captivity in 1820. For the enslaved, even completing an assigned task could result in bodily hard. Brice Letton (also spelled Bryce Litton -- who served as overseer for George Riley, Isaac Riley's older brother) proved that if a "servant" crossed his path, as Henson experienced, there were repercussions.
15. HENSON_211203_150.JPG: Josiah Henson Born into slavery in 1789, Josiah Henson was purchased as a child by Adam Robb and transferred here to the Riley plantation in 1795. The Rileys enslaved him for over 30 years until he escaped with his wife and children from Kentucky to Canada. In 1849, he published a written narrative of his life in slavery, describing in detail the labor and suffering endured here. Henson became an internationally known celebrity who traveled the world to share his story and build a better life for the former slaves from the U.S. who lived in his Dawn Settlement in Ontario. Henson and Uncle Tom's Cabin The same year that Henson published his narrative, 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe began work on Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional account of slavery, releasing it one chapter at a time. As she later noted in her A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853), her sources included personal interviews and observations as well as written accounts. In the Key, she revealed that "the venerable Josiah Henson" who was "'raised' in the State of Maryland" was one of the inspirations for the character Uncle Tom. Later, Stowe wrote the preface to the 1858 version of Henson's expanded narrative. [Captions:] Henson was described by one of his contemporaries as "a negro of unyielding tenacity, unfailing resources, quick wit, and also a deep piety... strong in muscle and constitution." Such qualities supported Harriet Beecher Stowe's assessment: "the numerous friends of the author of this work will need no greater recommendation than his name to make it welcome." Josiah Henson published the first version of his slave narrative in 1849, covering his life to that point. He published four later versions, adding information about his later life and addressing his connection to Uncle Tom's Cabin. The author of more than 30 books, Harriet Beecher Stowe secured her place in history with her widespread popularity and impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which turned American minds against slavery.
16. HENSON_211203_156.JPG: Defined as "chattel," enslaved laborers were considered valuable property. Protecting these assets often meant offering monetary rewards to return those who ran away. Samuel Middleton placed this ad in 1814, hoping for the return of Charles to ensure an inheritance for his daughter Matilda. She would marry Isaac Riley four years later.
17. HENSON_211203_180.JPG: Born Into Slavery
18. HENSON_211203_193.JPG: Separated from his Mother
19. HENSON_211203_209.JPG: Horseshoe excavated on site
20. HENSON_211203_218.JPG: Denied as Education
21. HENSON_211203_224.JPG: Butter mold (reproduction)
22. HENSON_211203_240.JPG: How Do We Know What We Know?
23. HENSON_211203_246.JPG: Archaeological Evidence Artifacts -- personally owned objects such as this chamberpot excavated on site -- speak to the everyday existence of those who lived in the past. Without indoor plumbing, the Riley family used a chamberpot as a toilet at night. Enslaved laborers emptied the contents.
24. HENSON_211203_251.JPG: Archival Records Documents -- like this Riley family Bible page -- provide key historic details, including birth and death dates of family members and the enslaved. David, noted here as born in 1822, was held in bondage alongside Josiah Henson.
25. HENSON_211203_266.JPG: Life on the Riley Plantation The Work of a Man
26. HENSON_211203_273.JPG: Tow cloth (contemporary) and buttons (from site)
27. HENSON_211203_284.JPG: Food remnants excavated from site
28. HENSON_211203_305.JPG: Awakening to a New Life
29. HENSON_211203_323.JPG: Useful to Many
30. HENSON_211203_335.JPG: You are standing in an addition built during a major renovation of the original house. In 1939, the Tidewater-style plantation house was modified to reflect Colonial Revival taste. This recreated clapboard wall represents the location of the original house exterior wall in 1800. It looks similar to the clapboard seen behind the Bracket family, renters, who are standing in front of the original porch of the Riley House in the 1919 photo.
31. HENSON_211203_338.JPG: I His Own Words: Josiah Henson
32. HENSON_211203_343.JPG: The Riley Family: "My Earthly Master"
33. HENSON_211203_346.JPG: Hoe blade excavated on site
34. HENSON_211203_350.JPG: The Riley House
35. HENSON_211203_352.JPG: This 1919 photo is the earliest known image of the Riley House. Originally, there was no doorway between this room and the log kitchen. Instead, one exited the house onto a side porch and then entered the front of the log kitchen.
36. HENSON_211203_356.JPG: This estate inventory was recorded when Isaac Riley died in 1850. It documents all of his property, including enslaved people -- Isaac, Amanda, Westley, Elizabeth, Nelson and Lewis -- described as among his most valuable assets.
37. HENSON_211203_359.JPG: This floor plan shows a conjectural layout of the original first floor, circa 1856.
38. HENSON_211203_361.JPG: This floor plan shows a conjectural layout of the original second floor, circa 1856.
39. HENSON_211203_363.JPG: As a widow, Matilda Riley wisely chose to protect her assets by taking out an insurance policy in 1856 for what she called "Willow Grove." She and her descendants would own the house until 1926.
40. HENSON_211203_366.JPG: This 1927 aerial shows a cluster of outbuildings along a driveway behind the house that are no longer standing today. Archaeological research reveals this former land use and explores the property's conversion from agricultural to suburban living.
41. HENSON_211203_370.JPG: William and Levina Bolten purchased the house in 1936. They hired prominent architect Lorenzo Winslow to help modernize the house. Renovations to realize Winslow's Colonial Revival style design were completed in 1939.
42. HENSON_211203_372.JPG: When interviewed inside the newly renovated log kitchen, Levina Bolten revealed that Riley descendants noted "Uncle Si" had been enslaved on the property. The "many old slave quarters" were reportedly removed by the subsequent owners, the Coburns, in the early 1950s.
43. HENSON_211203_377.JPG: When this 1934 ad ran in the Washington Post, Luxmanor offered "subsistence homesteads" on affordable one-half acre lots. Over 14,000 square feet of ground was allocated for a vegetable garden and a chicken house -- both resulting in necessities that could be used in the modern "electric health kitchen" and preserved in the vegetable storage room found in the basement.
44. HENSON_211203_379.JPG: When Luxmanor opened in 1934, this subdivision began with 190 homes. Morton Luchs envisioned "a community planned for people who appreciate peaceful suburban living, with all modern city conveniences." By 1949, when this insurance map was published, the wood frame Riley-Bolten House was surrounded by mostly brick ramblers in the Luxmanor community.
45. HENSON_211203_382.JPG: Overseer of the Plantation
46. HENSON_211203_403.JPG: Danger in Kentucky
47. HENSON_211203_415.JPG: Forced to Flee
48. HENSON_211203_441.JPG: Matilda Riley and her daughter Frances Riley Mace (front row), and her two granddaughters, Dora Mace Holman and Fannie Mace, ca 1870-1890.
49. HENSON_211203_450.JPG: Tricked Out of Freedom
50. HENSON_211203_480.JPG: Decision To Escape
51. HENSON_211203_499.JPG: Freedom in Canada
52. HENSON_211203_517.JPG: Please use only the stylus to touch this exhibit.
53. HENSON_211203_527.JPG: Classics Illustrated No. 15 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe [ This version, which came out in Summer 1970, was the 20th edition of the comic which was first published in November, 1943. ]
54. HENSON_211203_530.JPG: Uncle Tom's Cabin Hungarian edition, 1952
55. HENSON_211203_535.JPG: Writing his Memoir
56. HENSON_211203_553.JPG: Historian used materials hidden in the walls to help date the house's original construction. Machine-made lathing nails, such as the ones seen here, would not have been produced before 1800. Wrought nails found in the house's roof trusses would not have been used after 1815.
57. HENSON_211203_556.JPG: Heavy timber framing, including bracing, was used not only to build houses, but barns and mills, such as the 1841 Duvall Mill seen here. This grist mill used to stand on Randolph Road within today's Valley Mill Special Park in Montgomery County. This photograph, part of the Historic American Buildings Survey of 1936, demonstrates the impressive structural capabilities of this type of timber framing.
58. HENSON_211203_577.JPG: Uncle Tom's Cabin: A Story That Changed the World
59. HENSON_211203_581.JPG: While many of the interior features of the house were updated during the 1939 renovation, this fireplace contains trim dating to the 1820s, during the time Josiah Henson was here on the Riley plantation.
60. HENSON_211203_586.JPG: "Uncle Tom's Cabin, Topsy's Recreation." Color lithograph poster for the stage production of Uncle Tom's Cabin, ca 1901.
61. HENSON_211203_589.JPG: This large room was likely divided into two during Henson's time. Above, you can see a "summer beam" -- a thick piece of wood used to bear the weight of a timber-framed house. A partition wall would have been nailed to the beam. A Riley descendant also recalled the house having two first-story bedrooms in the 1920s.
62. HENSON_211203_597.JPG: In the Storm So Long: Slavery's Aftermath
63. HENSON_211203_614.JPG: Broadside for the stage production of Uncle Tom's Cabin performed at the Boston Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, December 1852.
64. HENSON_211203_619.JPG: "Uncle Tom" The Stereotype
65. HENSON_211203_634.JPG: From Uncle Tom to "An Uncle Tom" Over time, the portrayal of Stowe's character evolved and changed. The depiction of Uncle Tom in plays, films, and other forms of popular culture became a racial stereotype used to reinforce an agenda of white supremacy. In response to the exaggerated depiction of the subservient caricature, African Americans began using "Uncle Tom" as an insult towards those they viewed as traitors to their race.
66. HENSON_211203_635.JPG: When Harriet Beecher Stowe introduced her main character, she described Uncle Tom as "a large, broadchested, powerfully-made man, of a fully glossy black, and a face whose truly African features were characterized by an expression of grave and steady good sense, united with much kindliness and benevolence."
67. HENSON_211203_638.JPG: When the book was adapted for the stage, Uncle Tom was transformed into a decrepit elder, often shown with a cane. In a time when fears of sexual relations between the races were intense, this Uncle Tom appeared gentle and harmless.
68. HENSON_211203_640.JPG: The minstrel shows of the 1800s depicted African Americans as childlike, superstitious, lazy, and happy-go-lucky buffoons. Despite the popularity of the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, most Americans' understanding of Uncle Tom came from its adaptation into racist plays and musicals.
69. HENSON_211203_643.JPG: A key aspect of the racism of Uncle Tom's Cabin plays and minstrel shows was that the role was usually played by a white actor in blackface. Makeup and wigs exaggerated African American features, further dehumanizing the black characters.
70. HENSON_211203_645.JPG: To be represented as less than human, as shown in this 1869 political cartoon, reinforced the continued treatment of African Americans as second-class citizens.
71. HENSON_211203_648.JPG: Into the mid-1900s, racism saturated every aspect of American consumerism -- from the big screen to sheet music, from food advertisements to children's games. Even everyday table settings featured Uncle Tom.
72. HENSON_211203_654.JPG: One of the earliest blackface minstrel shows featured "Jim Crow," a character created by white actor Thomas Dartmouth Rice. Meant to mimic a clumsy, dimwitted enslaved man, "Jim Crow" became a widely accepted epithet for African Americans by the late 1830s.
73. HENSON_211203_656.JPG: Throughout the 20th century, the term "Jim Crow" represented the system of racial discrimination and segregation against African Americans in the South.
74. HENSON_211203_658.JPG: In 1945, as African Americans fought to protect global democracy during World War II, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People acted to combat any public performances that mimicked "the old-type Negro" as portrayed in minstrel shows.
75. HENSON_211203_661.JPG: Political activists affiliated with the Black Power movement were quick to label those they felt were race traitors as "Uncle Toms." By the late 1960s, their targets included members of the Civil Rights Movement for their partnerships with whites and their exclusive use of nonviolent strategies.
76. HENSON_211203_664.JPG: A Royal Audience President Obama and Henson's Legacy In 2011, Queen Elizabeth received President Obama at Buckingham Palace. Among significant historic items she arranged for him to view was material related to Josiah Henson's visit with Queen Victoria in 1877. About Henson's meeting, the Birmingham Daily Mail wrote: "He, the runaway slave, has lived to be entertained by Queen Victoria in her own royal castle. The whirligig of time does indeed bring about its revenges, and not the least of them is … the ceremony performed at Windsor yesterday." [Captions:] The journal of Queen Victoria was among multiple archival documents admired by Prince Philip, First Lady Michelle Obama, America's first African American president, Barack Obama, and Queen Elizabeth II, the great-great daughter of Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria wrote in her official diary about her meeting with Josiah Henson and his second wife Nancy on March 25, 1877 at Windsor Castle. During the visit, she reportedly remarked that she had read his autobiography "with much interest and pleasure." One of Henson's prized possessions was this framed photograph of Queen Victoria she presented to him in 1877.
77. HENSON_211203_675.JPG: Return to the Riley Farm In 1878, after meeting President Hayes at the White House, Henson returned to the Riley plantation to find it much diminished -- a scene common after the end of slavery in the South. Upon recognizing Henson, the Widow Riley exclaimed: "Why, Si, you are a gentleman!" To which he replied: "I always was madam." Letter of introduction from Frederick Douglass "I called on his Excellency President Hayes, in his office, while Mrs. Hayes very kindly showed my wife through the house." "The once great plantation is now but a wilderness; the most desolate, demoralised place one can imagine. The fertile fields where once waved acres upon acres of tasselled corn…the once ploughed land where grew the endless rows of potatoes…all these splendid lands are overgrown with trees and underbrush… and when we drove at last up the grass-grown road to the house …it was in such a dilapidated condition that the windows rattled and the very door sprang ajar as we drove up…" "[S]he began to question me, asking me for many names of officers under whom Mr. Riley served in the war of 1812. My memory did not once fail me…and I then learned that she was trying to get a pension to which Mr. Riley was entitled, but to secure which she had not the necessary data until I gave them.... I do not know whether she succeeded in getting the money, but I hope so, for she needed it."
78. HENSON_211203_690.JPG: What About You?
79. HENSON_211203_715.JPG: Preserving the Riley-Bolten House "When you came out of the kitchen, or the log cabin, then you went up some steps on to a porch … into the sitting room." -- Frances Mace Hansbrough, 2007 When developer Morton Luchs purchased land to build the surrounding Luxmanor subdivision in the early 1930s, he intentionally let the Riley House stand. In the midst of new brick homes on half-acre lots, the 1800s farm house became a focal point. William and Levina Bolten bought the property and made renovations to update the house in the Colonial Revival style. In 2011, Montgomery Parks nominated the Riley-Bolten House to the National Register of Historic Places. [Captions:] In 1919, the property included "a quaint home, with mossy shingles, log kitchen, rough, stout chimneys and a very old-fashioned air. It sits far back from the west side of the road." The appearance of the house today is largely due to Lorenzo Winslow. Despite his credentials as President Franklin Roosevelt's White House architect, Winslow took on smaller residential projects like this one, modernizing and adding to the historic house
80. HENSON_211203_729.JPG: Farm Road Bed Like much of the Riley-Bolten House, the landscape was reinforced as part of the 1930s renovation. This macadam style road, uncovered during museum construction, replaced the earlier dirt farm road. While dirt roads were common in the nineteenth century, they were often impassable due to wet conditions and poor upkeep. Scottish engineer, John McAdam, developed a more sustainable road design in the 1800s that layered gravel over a base of large rocks to create a stable surface for carts and horses. [Captions:] A farm road once connected Old Georgetown Road (on the right) with Tilden Lane (at the top), passing north of the log kitchen before winding its way through the farm and outbuildings. Farm roads were vital to connect the core of the plantation with the outer fields, and were often placed adjacent to buildings for ease of access. In 1900, 95% of roads in Montgomery County were dirt.
81. HENSON_211203_744.JPG: Look closely and you can see where wood cores were drilled. Historians used dendrochronology (the study of tree rings) to figure out when this kitchen was built. The rings show when this kitchen was built. The rings show when the trees were felled, helping to date this structure to the winter of 1850-1851. An 1856 insurance policy notes the newly attached log kitchen to be "in good repair."
82. HENSON_211203_746.JPG: Remnants of the Past: Slave Life
83. HENSON_211203_773.JPG: The log kitchen is built of stacked logs, hewn to be flat on the sides, with "v"-shaped notches holding them in place. The logs were "chinked" with stone and then coated with sand and clay mortar. In the 1939 renovation, new mortar that included Portland cement was applied on top.
84. HENSON_211203_778.JPG: The Log Kitchen: Fueled by Enslaved Labor
85. HENSON_211203_780.JPG: Hear Our Voices!
86. HENSON_211203_783.JPG: Look behind the missing chinking (the infill used to create a seal between logs, in this case a combination of stones and lime mortar) and you can see very old clapboards and a nail from a circa 1800-1815 Riley House. The fact that you see the old clapboards proves that the frame house stood on its own before the log kitchen was added against it circa 1850.
87. HENSON_211203_799.JPG: This profile of one of the excavation units shows the stratigraphy, of layering of soils, that was found. Archaeologists can differentiate the dirt layers through variations in soil compactness as well as changes in color. Compact dirt surfaces suggest earlier floors present within the log kitchen.
88. HENSON_211203_814.JPG: The Meathouse: A Food Vault "I used to reason that the slaves were the property of their masters, and so were the pigs…if I induced them to wander away, it was only taking a part of master's property, the pigs, to make the other part of his property, the women, more valuable." -- Josiah Henson Under lock and key, the contents of a smokehouse or meathouse were considered extremely valuable. Lacking refrigeration, the Riley family needed to preserve their meat to keep it from spoiling. Butchered meat, such as pork after a winter hog killing, was salted and then cured over a slow smoke. Most of the meat ended up on the Rileys' dinging table. If meat was distributed to the enslaved, their allotment was usually small and of poor quality. [Captions:] This smokehouse was discovered in northern Montgomery County in Black Hill Regional Park. The building probably looks similar in size and material to the one that stood on the Riley plantation. Chronically undernourished, the enslaved were tempted by the meathouse stores. This 1809 legal document describes a Montgomery County court case brought against "James a negro man slave the property of Henry Gaither" for "breaking open the meet [sic] house."
89. HENSON_211203_823.JPG: Agriculture on the Riley Plantation "Gradually the disposal of everything raised on the farm, -- the wheat, oats, hay, fruit, butter, and whatever else there might be, -- was confided to me, and it was quite evident that I could and did sell for better than any one else he could employ." -- Josiah Henson Working six days a week, enslaved people ensured the productivity and prosperity of the Riley plantation. Men, women, and children produced cash crops, initially tobacco, then later, wheat and corn. Josiah Henson described the exhausting process of bringing the products to market, leaving at midnight to work selling the products all day in Georgetown, and returning home, "hungry and tired, and nine times out of ten, reap my sole reward in curses for not getting higher prices." [Captions:] In order to bring goods to market, Josiah Henson was able to travel to Rockville and Georgetown, far beyond the confines of his home plantation. There, he likely interacted with free blacks and saw the promise of freedom. When the agricultural census taker evaluated the livestock owned by Isaac Riley in 1850, he documented 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 2 oxen, 14 sheep and 9 swine.
90. HENSON_211203_829.JPG: "We live the fairytale of our ancestors, their balm for the future." -- Family of Rev. Josiah Henson
91. HENSON_211203_836.JPG: Life in the Slave Quarters "We lodged in log huts, and on the bare ground .... Our beds were collections of straw and old rags, thrown down in the corners and boxed in the boards; a single blanket the only covering." -- Josiah Henson Based on Henson's recollection, "in a single room were huddled, like cattle, ten or a dozen persons." By 1825, there were at least three simple log structures with dirt floors that sheltered nearly 22 enslaved people. Such conditions did not ensure proper hygiene or privacy. After a long day of work, the enslaved retreated to their quarters to eat humble meals of "corn-meal and salted herrings" supplemented with vegetables from their own gardens. [Captions:] Henson described how the enslaved tended "the little piece of ground…called a truck-patch" much like the fenced area shown here. They planted foods that grew quickly and could be easily boiled in a pot or roasted in the coals of a small fire. This 1864 illustration shows how enslaved families in the Upper South congregated at the end of the day in their sparsely furnished quarters.
92. HENSON_211203_848.JPG: Archaeology at Josiah Henson Park Montgomery Parks has conducted archaeological research on this property since 2009 and will continue studies to learn more about the daily lives of those enslaved here and whose experiences are not recorded anywhere else. Reconstructing the plantation landscape of the early 1800s enriches our understanding of how the enslaved community and Riley family used these areas differently. [Captions:] A dwelling stood at this location in the 1800s (1). While the above-ground indications are gone, evidence of human activities is buried under the soil (2). Archaeologists found intact postholes and remnants of posts, used to provide support for wooden structures (3). While obscured by 20th-century changes, elements of the Riley plantation landscape remain within the Park. Identifying these physical spaces allows a better awareness of the human interactions that once took place here. Archaeologists excavated this area and found features that indicate a wooden structure and rubble from a stone chimney. Artifacts, including plates, cups, smoking pipes, pins, and marbles, suggest that the building was a residence that dated to the first half of the 1800s, likely quarters for the enslaved or the overseer.
93. HENSON_211203_861.JPG: The Evolution of Slavery in Montgomery County * 1790: 879 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,030 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,003 * 1800: 864 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,288 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,058 * 1810: 934 owners; avg. 9 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 8,056 [total enslaved people]; total county population 17,980 * Following the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808, a heavier reliance on enslaved families to replenish the labor supply meant a substantial percentage of enslaved people were, in fact, children. * 1820: 522 owners, avg. 13 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 6,936 [total enslaved people]; total county population 16,400 * In 1825, Josiah Henson recalled there were 22 enslaved people including 2 of his own children, at the Riley plantation. * 1830: 830 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 47% under the age of 14 6,447 [total enslaved people]; total county population 19,816 * 1840: 1,124 owners, avg. 5 slaves each; 47% under the age of 10 5,377 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,456 * 1850: 837 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 45% under the age of 14 5,114[total enslaved people]; total county population 15,860 * 1860: 762 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 44% under the age of 14 4,903 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,322
94. HENSON_211203_908.JPG: "Continue to clear the to freedom" ??? Lou and Mary D'Ovidio and the D'Ovidio Family
95. HENSON_211203_911.JPG: Black Lives Matter Anonymous
96. HENSON_211203_914.JPG: In honor of Rev. his wife Charlotte and their four children on their journey from slavery to freedom in 1830 Montgomery Parks Foundation
97. HENSON_211203_918.JPG: Josiah Henson and Uncle Tom -- Two men, two cabins One legacy
98. HENSON_211203_922.JPG: Honoring our past Hope for the future Marye Wells Harley Ernest Harley
99. HENSON_211203_924.JPG: In honor of three unnamed women ages 26-45+ Enslaved on the Riley Plantation circa 1820
100. HENSON_211203_928.JPG: Josiah Henson Park
101. HENSON_211203_930.JPG: Volunteers of the MNCPPC
102. HENSON_211203_934.JPG: One voice can change the world The Baker Family
103. HENSON_211203_943.JPG: Maryland: Confederate or Union State? Slavery in Maryland lasted for 230 years, beginning with the earliest colonists and persisting through most of the Civil War. During the war, Maryland remained in the Union. Like other border state residents, Marylanders were sympathetic to -- and even joined -- the Confederate cause. The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation only abolished slavery in rebelling Confederate states and those enslaved in Maryland remained in bondage. The voters of Maryland finally outlawed slavery through an amendment to the state constitution on November 1, 1864. [Caption:] By 1860, 32 percent of the population in Montgomery County, Maryland was enslaved.
104. HENSON_211204_010.JPG: Whose House Was This? This is the historic Riley-Bolten House, built circa 1800. The log structure attached to the house is a kitchen built in 1850. Until 1864, this plantation was worked by enslaved people. Josiah Henson lived in quarters elsewhere on the plantation. Renovations were made to the house in 1939 by the Bolton family in Colonial Revival style.
105. HENSON_211204_034.JPG: Preserving the Riley-Bolten House "When you came out of the kitchen, or the log cabin, then you went up some steps on to a porch … into the sitting room." -- Frances Mace Hansbrough, 2007 When developer Morton Luchs purchased land to build the surrounding Luxmanor subdivision in the early 1930s, he intentionally let the Riley House stand. In the midst of new brick homes on half-acre lots, the 1800s farm house became a focal point. William and Levina Bolten bought the property and made renovations to update the house in the Colonial Revival style. In 2011, Montgomery Parks nominated the Riley-Bolten House to the National Register of Historic Places. [Captions:] In 1919, the property included "a quaint home, with mossy shingles, log kitchen, rough, stout chimneys and a very old-fashioned air. It sits far back from the west side of the road." The appearance of the house today is largely due to Lorenzo Winslow. Despite his credentials as President Franklin Roosevelt's White House architect, Winslow took on smaller residential projects like this one, modernizing and adding to the historic house
106. HENSON_211204_043.JPG: "When you came out of the kitchen, or the log cabin, then you went up some steps on to a porch … into the sitting room." -- Frances Mace Hansbrough, 2007
107. HENSON_211204_049.JPG: In 1919, the property included "a quaint home, with mossy shingles, log kitchen, rough, stout chimneys and a very old-fashioned air. It sits far back from the west side of the road."
108. HENSON_211204_055.JPG: The appearance of the house today is largely due to Lorenzo Winslow. Despite his credentials as President Franklin Roosevelt's White House architect, Winslow took on smaller residential projects like this one, modernizing and adding to the historic house
109. HENSON_211204_061.JPG: Farm Road Bed Like much of the Riley-Bolten House, the landscape was reinforced as part of the 1930s renovation. This macadam style road, uncovered during museum construction, replaced the earlier dirt farm road. While dirt roads were common in the nineteenth century, they were often impassable due to wet conditions and poor upkeep. Scottish engineer, John McAdam, developed a more sustainable road design in the 1800s that layered gravel over a base of large rocks to create a stable surface for carts and horses. [Captions:] A farm road once connected Old Georgetown Road (on the right) with Tilden Lane (at the top), passing north of the log kitchen before winding its way through the farm and outbuildings. Farm roads were vital to connect the core of the plantation with the outer fields, and were often placed adjacent to buildings for ease of access. In 1900, 95% of roads in Montgomery County were dirt.
110. HENSON_211204_065.JPG: A farm road once connected Old Georgetown Road (on the right) with Tilden Lane (at the top), passing north of the log kitchen before winding its way through the farm and outbuildings.
111. HENSON_211204_071.JPG: Farm roads were vital to connect the core of the plantation with the outer fields, and were often placed adjacent to buildings for ease of access. In 1900, 95% of roads in Montgomery County were dirt.
112. HENSON_211204_148.JPG: The Meathouse: A Food Vault "I used to reason that the slaves were the property of their masters, and so were the pigs…if I induced them to wander away, it was only taking a part of master's property, the pigs, to make the other part of his property, the women, more valuable." -- Josiah Henson Under lock and key, the contents of a smokehouse or meathouse were considered extremely valuable. Lacking refrigeration, the Riley family needed to preserve their meat to keep it from spoiling. Butchered meat, such as pork after a winter hog killing, was salted and then cured over a slow smoke. Most of the meat ended up on the Rileys' dinging table. If meat was distributed to the enslaved, their allotment was usually small and of poor quality. [Captions:] This smokehouse was discovered in northern Montgomery County in Black Hill Regional Park. The building probably looks similar in size and material to the one that stood on the Riley plantation. Chronically undernourished, the enslaved were tempted by the meathouse stores. This 1809 legal document describes a Montgomery County court case brought against "James a negro man slave the property of Henry Gaither" for "breaking open the meet [sic] house."
113. HENSON_211204_153.JPG: This smokehouse was discovered in northern Montgomery County in Black Hill Regional Park. The building probably looks similar in size and material to the one that stood on the Riley plantation.
114. HENSON_211204_159.JPG: Chronically undernourished, the enslaved were tempted by the meathouse stores. This 1809 legal document describes a Montgomery County court case brought against "James a negro man slave the property of Henry Gaither" for "breaking open the meet [sic] house."
115. HENSON_211204_185.JPG: Agriculture on the Riley Plantation "Gradually the disposal of everything raised on the farm, -- the wheat, oats, hay, fruit, butter, and whatever else there might be, -- was confided to me, and it was quite evident that I could and did sell for better than any one else he could employ." -- Josiah Henson Working six days a week, enslaved people ensured the productivity and prosperity of the Riley plantation. Men, women, and children produced cash crops, initially tobacco, then later, wheat and corn. Josiah Henson described the exhausting process of bringing the products to market, leaving at midnight to work selling the products all day in Georgetown, and returning home, "hungry and tired, and nine times out of ten, reap my sole reward in curses for not getting higher prices." [Captions:] In order to bring goods to market, Josiah Henson was able to travel to Rockville and Georgetown, far beyond the confines of his home plantation. There, he likely interacted with free blacks and saw the promise of freedom. When the agricultural census taker evaluated the livestock owned by Isaac Riley in 1850, he documented 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 2 oxen, 14 sheep and 9 swine.
116. HENSON_211204_187.JPG: "Gradually the disposal of everything raised on the farm, -- the wheat, oats, hay, fruit, butter, and whatever else there might be, -- was confided to me, and it was quite evident that I could and did sell for better than any one else he could employ." -- Josiah Henson
117. HENSON_211204_190.JPG: In order to bring goods to market, Josiah Henson was able to travel to Rockville and Georgetown, far beyond the confines of his home plantation. There, he likely interacted with free blacks and saw the promise of freedom.
118. HENSON_211204_194.JPG: When the agricultural census taker evaluated the livestock owned by Isaac Riley in 1850, he documented 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 2 oxen, 14 sheep and 9 swine.
119. HENSON_211204_215.JPG: Life in the Slave Quarters "We lodged in log huts, and on the bare ground .... Our beds were collections of straw and old rags, thrown down in the corners and boxed in the boards; a single blanket the only covering." -- Josiah Henson Based on Henson's recollection, "in a single room were huddled, like cattle, ten or a dozen persons." By 1825, there were at least three simple log structures with dirt floors that sheltered nearly 22 enslaved people. Such conditions did not ensure proper hygiene or privacy. After a long day of work, the enslaved retreated to their quarters to eat humble meals of "corn-meal and salted herrings" supplemented with vegetables from their own gardens. [Captions:] Henson described how the enslaved tended "the little piece of ground…called a truck-patch" much like the fenced area shown here. They planted foods that grew quickly and could be easily boiled in a pot or roasted in the coals of a small fire. This 1864 illustration shows how enslaved families in the Upper South congregated at the end of the day in their sparsely furnished quarters.
120. HENSON_211204_223.JPG: "We lodged in log huts, and on the bare ground .... Our beds were collections of straw and old rags, thrown down in the corners and boxed in the boards; a single blanket the only covering." -- Josiah Henson
121. HENSON_211204_229.JPG: Henson described how the enslaved tended "the little piece of ground…called a truck-patch" much like the fenced area shown here. They planted foods that grew quickly and could be easily boiled in a pot or roasted in the coals of a small fire.
122. HENSON_211204_232.JPG: This 1864 illustration shows how enslaved families in the Upper South congregated at the end of the day in their sparsely furnished quarters.
123. HENSON_211204_247.JPG: "We live the fairytale of our ancestors, their balm for the future." -- Family of Rev. Josiah Henson
124. HENSON_211204_256.JPG: Archaeology at Josiah Henson Park Montgomery Parks has conducted archaeological research on this property since 2009 and will continue studies to learn more about the daily lives of those enslaved here and whose experiences are not recorded anywhere else. Reconstructing the plantation landscape of the early 1800s enriches our understanding of how the enslaved community and Riley family used these areas differently. [Captions:] A dwelling stood at this location in the 1800s (1). While the above-ground indications are gone, evidence of human activities is buried under the soil (2). Archaeologists found intact postholes and remnants of posts, used to provide support for wooden structures (3). While obscured by 20th-century changes, elements of the Riley plantation landscape remain within the Park. Identifying these physical spaces allows a better awareness of the human interactions that once took place here. Archaeologists excavated this area and found features that indicate a wooden structure and rubble from a stone chimney. Artifacts, including plates, cups, smoking pipes, pins, and marbles, suggest that the building was a residence that dated to the first half of the 1800s, likely quarters for the enslaved or the overseer.
125. HENSON_211204_259.JPG: A dwelling stood at this location in the 1800s (1). While the above-ground indications are gone, evidence of human activities is buried under the soil (2). Archaeologists found intact postholes and remnants of posts, used to provide support for wooden structures (3).
126. HENSON_211204_264.JPG: While obscured by 20th-century changes, elements of the Riley plantation landscape remain within the Park. Identifying these physical spaces allows a better awareness of the human interactions that once took place here.
127. HENSON_211204_270.JPG: Archaeologists excavated this area and found features that indicate a wooden structure and rubble from a stone chimney. Artifacts, including plates, cups, smoking pipes, pins, and marbles, suggest that the building was a residence that dated to the first half of the 1800s, likely quarters for the enslaved or the overseer.
128. HENSON_211204_283.JPG: The Riley Plantation This illustration imagines what the property looked like 200 years ago when Josiah Henson was enslaved here. The Riley House was positioned on a hill above Old Georgetown Road. A number of outbuildings were scattered around the property to house enslaved people, shelter livestock, and store goods. To the west and north, a series of fields stretched as far as the eye could see. [Captions:] Slave Quarters An array of small building served as living quarters for the men, women, and children -- as many as 22 -- enslaved here. Overseer's House This building was home to the Rileys' white overseer. It is possible that Josiah Henson moved in with his family when he was named overseer. Meathouse Also known as a smokehouse, this structure held meat that was smoked and stored for future use. In the days before refrigeration, preserved meat held high value. Bank Barn In addition to growing field crops, Isaac Riley also kept livestock on the farm, including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens. Riley House The timber frame house that was home to the Riley family was the focal point of this early 1800s plantation. Henson referred to it as a well-furnished "great house." Log Kitchen In the kitchen, the enslaved cook prepared meals for the Riley family. The log walls of the kitchen standing today date to 1850. The Plantation Over Time 1863 Border (262 acres) Today (3.35 acres)
129. HENSON_211204_292.JPG: The Plantation Over Time 1863 Border (262 acres) Today (3.35 acres)
130. HENSON_211204_305.JPG: Josiah Henson Born into slavery in 1789, Josiah Henson was purchased as a child by Adam Robb and transferred here to the Riley plantation in 1795. The Rileys enslaved him for over 30 years until he escaped with his wife and children from Kentucky to Canada. In 1849, he published a written narrative of his life in slavery, describing in detail the labor and suffering endured here. Henson became an internationally known celebrity who traveled the world to share his story and build a better life for the former slaves from the U.S. who lived in his Dawn Settlement in Ontario. Henson and Uncle Tom's Cabin The same year that Henson published his narrative, 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe began work on Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional account of slavery, releasing it one chapter at a time. As she later noted in her A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853), her sources included personal interviews and observations as well as written accounts. In the Key, she revealed that "the venerable Josiah Henson" who was "'raised' in the State of Maryland" was one of the inspirations for the character Uncle Tom. Later, Stowe wrote the preface to the 1858 version of Henson's expanded narrative. Slavery in Maryland From its foundation as a colony in 1634 until the state abolished the institution in 1864, chattel slavery was legal in Maryland. During those 230 years, the labor of enslaved people of African descent provided the foundation for Maryland's economy. Changes in early 1800s agricultural practices diminished dependence on slavery, resulting in a drop in the state's enslaved population. Marylanders participated in the lucrative domestic slave trade, splitting enslaved families as they ere sold to plantations in the Deep South. This scenario occurred among the enslaved people held here by the Riley family. [Captions:] Enslaved laborers fought their oppression through various types of resistance. In addition to smaller acts of rebellion, violence that generated fear was not unheard of. This 1806 Montgomery County court record describes enslaved laborers poisoning a slave holder and his wife. The auction block was a sad reality for thousands of enslaved laborers. This 1810 ad announced a public sale at Adam Robb's home in Rockville. Robb purchased Josiah Henson at auction in 1795 and later traded him to Isaac Riley. The Evolution of Slavery in Montgomery County * 1790: 879 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,030 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,003 * 1800: 864 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,288 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,058 * 1810: 934 owners; avg. 9 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 8,056 [total enslaved people]; total county population 17,980 * Following the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808, a heavier reliance on enslaved families to replenish the labor supply meant a substantial percentage of enslaved people were, in fact, children. * 1820: 522 owners, avg. 13 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 6,936 [total enslaved people]; total county population 16,400 * In 1825, Josiah Henson recalled there were 22 enslaved people including 2 of his own children, at the Riley plantation. * 1830: 830 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 47% under the age of 14 6,447 [total enslaved people]; total county population 19,816 * 1840: 1,124 owners, avg. 5 slaves each; 47% under the age of 10 5,377 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,456 * 1850: 837 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 45% under the age of 14 5,114[total enslaved people]; total county population 15,860 * 1860: 762 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 44% under the age of 14 4,903 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,322 Most Montgomery County farms had 10 or fewer slaves, significantly less than the 22 owned by Isaac Riley. From 1790 to 1860, only 17 county masters had 50 or more slaves. A considerable segment of the enslaved population were eight years or younger. Riley had four enslaved children in captivity in 1820. For the enslaved, even completing an assigned task could result in bodily hard. Brice Letton (also spelled Bryce Litton -- who served as overseer for George Riley, Isaac Riley's older brother) proved that if a "servant" crossed his path, as Henson experienced, there were repercussions. Henson was described by one of his contemporaries as "a negro of unyielding tenacity, unfailing resources, quick wit, and also a deep piety... strong in muscle and constitution." Such qualities supported Harriet Beecher Stowe's assessment: "the numerous friends of the author of this work will need no greater recommendation than his name to make it welcome." Josiah Henson published the first version of his slave narrative in 1849, covering his life to that point. He published four later versions, adding information about his later life and addressing his connection to Uncle Tom's Cabin. The author of more than 30 books, Harriet Beecher Stowe secured her place in history with her widespread popularity and impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which turned American minds against slavery.
131. HENSON_211204_311.JPG: Enslaved laborers fought their oppression through various types of resistance. In addition to smaller acts of rebellion, violence that generated fear was not unheard of. This 1806 Montgomery County court record describes enslaved laborers poisoning a slave holder and his wife.
132. HENSON_211204_315.JPG: The auction block was a sad reality for thousands of enslaved laborers. This 1810 ad announced a public sale at Adam Robb's home in Rockville. Robb purchased Josiah Henson at auction in 1795 and later traded him to Isaac Riley.
133. HENSON_211204_321.JPG: The Evolution of Slavery in Montgomery County * 1790: 879 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,030 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,003 * 1800: 864 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 6,288 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,058 * 1810: 934 owners; avg. 9 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 8,056 [total enslaved people]; total county population 17,980 * Following the end of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808, a heavier reliance on enslaved families to replenish the labor supply meant a substantial percentage of enslaved people were, in fact, children. * 1820: 522 owners, avg. 13 slaves each; 50% under the age of 14 6,936 [total enslaved people]; total county population 16,400 * In 1825, Josiah Henson recalled there were 22 enslaved people including 2 of his own children, at the Riley plantation. * 1830: 830 owners, avg. 7 slaves each; 47% under the age of 14 6,447 [total enslaved people]; total county population 19,816 * 1840: 1,124 owners, avg. 5 slaves each; 47% under the age of 10 5,377 [total enslaved people]; total county population 15,456 * 1850: 837 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 45% under the age of 14 5,114[total enslaved people]; total county population 15,860 * 1860: 762 owners, avg. 6 slaves each; 44% under the age of 14 4,903 [total enslaved people]; total county population 18,322
134. HENSON_211204_327.JPG: Slavery in Maryland From its foundation as a colony in 1634 until the state abolished the institution in 1864, chattel slavery was legal in Maryland. During those 230 years, the labor of enslaved people of African descent provided the foundation for Maryland's economy. Changes in early 1800s agricultural practices diminished dependence on slavery, resulting in a drop in the state's enslaved population. Marylanders participated in the lucrative domestic slave trade, splitting enslaved families as they ere sold to plantations in the Deep South. This scenario occurred among the enslaved people held here by the Riley family.
135. HENSON_211204_330.JPG: For the enslaved, even completing an assigned task could result in bodily hard. Brice Letton (also spelled Bryce Litton -- who served as overseer for George Riley, Isaac Riley's older brother) proved that if a "servant" crossed his path, as Henson experienced, there were repercussions.
136. HENSON_211204_333.JPG: Josiah Henson Born into slavery in 1789, Josiah Henson was purchased as a child by Adam Robb and transferred here to the Riley plantation in 1795. The Rileys enslaved him for over 30 years until he escaped with his wife and children from Kentucky to Canada. In 1849, he published a written narrative of his life in slavery, describing in detail the labor and suffering endured here. Henson became an internationally known celebrity who traveled the world to share his story and build a better life for the former slaves from the U.S. who lived in his Dawn Settlement in Ontario. Henson and Uncle Tom's Cabin The same year that Henson published his narrative, 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe began work on Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional account of slavery, releasing it one chapter at a time. As she later noted in her A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853), her sources included personal interviews and observations as well as written accounts. In the Key, she revealed that "the venerable Josiah Henson" who was "'raised' in the State of Maryland" was one of the inspirations for the character Uncle Tom. Later, Stowe wrote the preface to the 1858 version of Henson's expanded narrative.
137. HENSON_211204_335.JPG: Josiah Henson Born into slavery in 1789, Josiah Henson was purchased as a child by Adam Robb and transferred here to the Riley plantation in 1795. The Rileys enslaved him for over 30 years until he escaped with his wife and children from Kentucky to Canada. In 1849, he published a written narrative of his life in slavery, describing in detail the labor and suffering endured here. Henson became an internationally known celebrity who traveled the world to share his story and build a better life for the former slaves from the U.S. who lived in his Dawn Settlement in Ontario.
138. HENSON_211204_339.JPG: Henson was described by one of his contemporaries as "a negro of unyielding tenacity, unfailing resources, quick wit, and also a deep piety... strong in muscle and constitution." Such qualities supported Harriet Beecher Stowe's assessment: "the numerous friends of the author of this work will need no greater recommendation than his name to make it welcome."
139. HENSON_211204_343.JPG: Josiah Henson published the first version of his slave narrative in 1849, covering his life to that point. He published four later versions, adding information about his later life and addressing his connection to Uncle Tom's Cabin.
140. HENSON_211204_349.JPG: Henson and Uncle Tom's Cabin The same year that Henson published his narrative, 1849, Harriet Beecher Stowe began work on Uncle Tom's Cabin, a fictional account of slavery, releasing it one chapter at a time. As she later noted in her A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853), her sources included personal interviews and observations as well as written accounts. In the Key, she revealed that "the venerable Josiah Henson" who was "'raised' in the State of Maryland" was one of the inspirations for the character Uncle Tom. Later, Stowe wrote the preface to the 1858 version of Henson's expanded narrative.
141. HENSON_211204_352.JPG: The author of more than 30 books, Harriet Beecher Stowe secured her place in history with her widespread popularity and impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which turned American minds against slavery.
142. HENSON_211204_356.JPG: Defined as "chattel," enslaved laborers were considered valuable property. Protecting these assets often meant offering monetary rewards to return those who ran away. Samuel Middleton placed this ad in 1814, hoping for the return of Charles to ensure an inheritance for his daughter Matilda. She would marry Isaac Riley four years later.
143. HENSON_211204_384.JPG: International Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
144. HENSON_211204_389.JPG: The public park is a program open space assisted project Maryland Department of Natural Resources
145. HENSON_211204_401.JPG: Josiah Henson Museum & Park Montgomery Parks
Wikipedia Description: Josiah Henson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Josiah Henson (June 15, 1789 – May 5, 1883) was an author, abolitionist, and minister. Born into slavery in Charles County, Maryland, he escaped to Ontario, Canada, in 1830, and founded a settlement and laborer's school for other fugitive slaves at Dawn, near Dresden in Kent County. At the time of his arrival, Ontario was known as the Province of Upper Canada (U.C.), becoming the Province of Canada in 1841, then Ontario in 1867, all within Henson's lifetime there. Henson's autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849), is widely believed to have inspired the character of the fugitive slave, George Harris, in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), who returned to Kentucky for his wife and escaped across the Ohio River, eventually to Canada. Following the success of Stowe's novel, Henson issued an expanded version of his memoir in 1858, Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (published Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1858). Interest in his life continued, and nearly two decades later, his life story was updated and published as Uncle Tom's Story of His Life: An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876).

Early life and career:
Provincial plaque placed by the Government of Ontario memorializing Henson's Dawn Settlement near Dresden, Ontario. Henson's settlement offered former slaves escaped from the U.S. the chance to start a new life free from slavery and the badges and incidents of slavery in Upper Canada.

Josiah Henson was born on a farm near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. When he was a boy, his father was punished for standing up to a slave owner, receiving one hundred lashes and having his right ear nailed to the whipping-post, and then cut off. His father was later sold to someone in Alabama. Following his family's master's death, young Josiah was separated from his mother, brothers and sisters, when he was sold as property in an estate sale. After his mother pleaded with her new owner Isaac Riley, Riley agreed to buy back Henson so she could at least have her youngest child with her; on condition he would work in the fields. Riley would not regret his decision for Henson rose in his owners' esteem, and was eventually entrusted as the supervisor of his master's farm, located in Montgomery County, Maryland (in what is now North Bethesda). He tried to buy his freedom by giving his master $450 which he had saved up over the years, only to find that it had been deceitfully increased to $1350.

Cheated of his money, he escaped to Kent County, U.C., in 1830, after learning he might be sold again. There he founded a settlement and laborer's school for other fugitive slaves at Dawn, Canada West. Henson crossed into Upper Canada via the Niagara River, with his wife Nancy and their four children. Ontario had become a refuge for slaves from the United States after 1793, when Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe passed "An Act to prevent further introduction of Slaves, and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude within this Province". The legislation did not immediately end slavery in the colony, but it did prevent the importation of slaves, meaning that any U.S. slave who set foot in what would eventually become Ontario, was free. By the time Henson arrived, others had already made Ontario home, including Black Loyalists from the American Revolution, and refugees from the War of 1812.

Henson first worked farms near Fort Erie, then Waterloo, moving with friends to Colchester by 1834 to set up a Black settlement on rented land. Through contacts and financial assistance there, he was able to purchase 200 acres (0.81 km2) in Dawn Township, in next-door Kent County, to realize his vision of a self-sufficient community. The Dawn Settlement eventually prospered, reaching a population of 500 at its height, and exporting black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson purchased an additional 200 acres (0.81 km2) next to the Settlement, where his family lived. Henson also became an active Methodist preacher, and spoke as an abolitionist on routes between Tennessee and Ontario. He also served in the Canadian army as a military officer, having led a Black militia unit in the Rebellion of 1837. Though many residents of the Dawn Settlement returned to the United States after slavery was abolished there, Henson and his wife continued to live in Dawn for the rest of their lives. Henson died at the age of 93 in Dresden, on May 5. 1883.

Works

The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849)
Truth Stranger Than Fiction. Father Henson's Story of His Own Life (1858)
Uncle Tom's Story of His Life: An Autobiography of the Rev. Josiah Henson (1876)

Miscellaneous:

Josiah Henson is the first black man to be featured on a Canadian stamp. He was also recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1999 as a National Historic Person. A federal plaque to him is located in the Henson family cemetery, next to Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site.

Sites

The 'Josiah Henson' cabin in Maryland

The actual cabin in which Josiah Henson and other slaves were housed no longer exists. The Riley family house, however, remains and is currently in a residential development in Montgomery County, Maryland. After having remained in the hands of private owners for nearly two centuries, on January 6, 2006, the Montgomery Planning Board agreed to purchase the property and the acre of land on which it stands for $1,000,000. The house was opened to the public for one weekend in 2006. As of March 2009, the site has received an additional $50,000 from the Maryland state Board of Public Works for the planning and design phase of a multiyear restoration project. An additional $100,000 may come from the Federal government that would go towards restoration and planning. The site is planned to be opened permanently to the public in 2012, until then there are guided tours four times a year.

Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

Located near Dresden, Ontario, in Canada, Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site includes the cabin that was home to Josiah Henson during much of his time in the area, from 1841 until his death in 1883. The five-acre complex includes Henson's cabin, an interpretive center about Henson and the Dawn settlement, an exhibit gallery about the Underground Railroad, outbuildings, a 19th-century historic house, a cemetery and a gift shop.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].