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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.
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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. |