Josiah Henson Background
Include the person’s people group (gender, ethnic background, cultural background etc..). This date marks the birth of Josiah Henson in 1789.
Content should include a brief background of the person?
Josiah Henson was born into slavery on June 15, 1789 in Charles County, Maryland. As a young boy he witnessed slavery’s cruelties inflicted on his immediate family. Young Henson watched his father receive fifty lashes for standing up to a slave owner and then witnessed his father’s ear being severed as part of the punishment. Shortly afterwards he watched his father sold off to an Alabama slaveholder. Upon the death of his owner, Henson was separated from his mother and siblings in an estate sale. Although he was reunited with his mother, he never saw his siblings again. Henson remained on his new owner’s farm in Montgomery County, Maryland, until he was an adult. As he aged he rose to become a trusted slave and supervised other enslaved people on the farm. However, …show more content…
he used his new position to make his escape from slavery. Following the Underground Railroad, Henson escaped from Maryland to the Province of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), Canada with his wife and four children by way of the Niagara River in 1830. Josiah Henson worked on farms near Fort Erie and Waterloo, in his first years in Canada to support his family. Then four years later in 1834 he moved with friends to Colchester and set up a black settlement on rented land. He was then able to purchase 200 acres in Dawn Township near Dresden in Kent County. The Dawn Settlement prospered, reaching a population of 500. It thrived on its exports of black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson eventually purchased another 200 acres next to the settlement, where he and his family lived. Henson also became a Methodist preacher. He went on lecture tours and spoke as an abolitionist throughout Britain and Canada. He also worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad between Tennessee and Ontario. In addition to his service on the Underground Railroad Henson served as a military officer in the British Army in Canada. While serving he led a black militia unit which supported the colonial government in the unsuccessful uprising by Canadian insurgents during the Rebellion of 1837. In 1849 Henson published his autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself. Henson’s autobiography is widely believed to be the model for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 best selling novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Following the success of Stowe’s novel, Henson expanded his own life story in an 1858 work titled Truth Stranger than Fiction, Father Henson’s Story of His Own Life. Josiah Henson is honored by the country of Canada with the plaques that they have displayed around his cabin, the famous Uncle Tom’s Cabin, located near the Dawn settlement. This settlement is now a historic site. One plaque reads “Henson’s celebrity raised international awareness of Canada as a haven for refugees from slavery.” Henson is also the first black person to be featured on a Canadian stamp. Let the reader know the time-period. (1789-1883)
How did he/she effect that particular era?
The Anti-Slavery Movement
The American Anti-Slavery Movement began during the Revolutionary Era. Made up of both black and white abolitionists, this movement had its roots in the 1730s when Quakers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania became convinced that the institution of slavery was at odds with their belief in spiritual equality. Armed with those beliefs, Quakers worked dili- gently throughout the 18th century to abolish slavery. Quakers from Philadelphia organized the first anti-slavery society in 1775, and other anti-slavery societies soon formed. The Anti-
Slavery Movement drew all types of people–Blacks and Whites, men and women, southern- ers and northerners. By the middle of the 19th century, leaders of the movement included William Lloyd Garrison, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, and Frederick Douglass. Abolitionists fought slavery in many ways; they organized conventions, boycotted southern goods, pub- lished books and newspapers preaching about the evils of slavery, assisted the escape of enslaved people on the Underground Railroad, and organized political parties. What was going on that was historically significant? Slavery What did they do that was significant and why was it significant? Freedom for slaves
What ongoing legacy do they have or should they have? Henson made several trips and led over 200 slaves to Canada. During his time in Canada, Josiah Henson started the Dawn Institute in Chatham, Ontario, a refuge for fugitive slaves where they were taught trades to support themselves and their families. When Henson went to the World's Fair in London, he became the first ex-slave to be granted an audience with Queen Victoria. He is also believed to be the model for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's antislavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Josiah Henson was a true hero and humanitarian during the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. He was an 18th century Black abolitionist.
The first anti-slavery law in Canada was passed in 1783 by then Ontario.
For the next 68 years it is estimated that 50,000 Blacks entered Canada for safety and freedom. One of them was Josiah Henson, a former slave from Kentucky. During his lifetime, three masters owned Henson. Henson started preaching to raise money in the hope of buying his freedom. His master took the money that Josiah had earned, and then raised the price of Henson's freedom to $1,000.
He returned to his master's plantation after a plot to secretly sell Josiah fell through, where he informed his wife of his plan to escape. Soon after he, his wife, and their four children escaped to Canada. On their journey to freedom, the Henson family struggled through sickness, wolves, and starvation. A tribe of Native Americans assisted the family along the way. Finally on October 28, 1830, after many hardships, they reached freedom. He stayed in Canada only a short time before he decided to get involved with the Underground
Railroad.
Content should include a brief background of the person?
Josiah Henson was born into slavery on June 15, 1789 in Charles County, Maryland. As a young boy he witnessed slavery’s cruelties inflicted on his immediate family. Young Henson watched his father receive fifty lashes for standing up to a slave owner and then witnessed his father’s ear being severed as part of the punishment. Shortly afterwards he watched his father sold off to an Alabama slaveholder. Upon the death of his owner, Henson was separated from his mother and siblings in an estate sale. Although he was reunited with his mother, he never saw his siblings again. Henson remained on his new owner’s farm in Montgomery County, Maryland, until he was an adult. As he aged he rose to become a trusted slave and supervised other enslaved people on the farm. However, …show more content…
he used his new position to make his escape from slavery. Following the Underground Railroad, Henson escaped from Maryland to the Province of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), Canada with his wife and four children by way of the Niagara River in 1830. Josiah Henson worked on farms near Fort Erie and Waterloo, in his first years in Canada to support his family. Then four years later in 1834 he moved with friends to Colchester and set up a black settlement on rented land. He was then able to purchase 200 acres in Dawn Township near Dresden in Kent County. The Dawn Settlement prospered, reaching a population of 500. It thrived on its exports of black walnut lumber to the United States and Britain. Henson eventually purchased another 200 acres next to the settlement, where he and his family lived. Henson also became a Methodist preacher. He went on lecture tours and spoke as an abolitionist throughout Britain and Canada. He also worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad between Tennessee and Ontario. In addition to his service on the Underground Railroad Henson served as a military officer in the British Army in Canada. While serving he led a black militia unit which supported the colonial government in the unsuccessful uprising by Canadian insurgents during the Rebellion of 1837. In 1849 Henson published his autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself. Henson’s autobiography is widely believed to be the model for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 best selling novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Following the success of Stowe’s novel, Henson expanded his own life story in an 1858 work titled Truth Stranger than Fiction, Father Henson’s Story of His Own Life. Josiah Henson is honored by the country of Canada with the plaques that they have displayed around his cabin, the famous Uncle Tom’s Cabin, located near the Dawn settlement. This settlement is now a historic site. One plaque reads “Henson’s celebrity raised international awareness of Canada as a haven for refugees from slavery.” Henson is also the first black person to be featured on a Canadian stamp. Let the reader know the time-period. (1789-1883)
How did he/she effect that particular era?
The Anti-Slavery Movement
The American Anti-Slavery Movement began during the Revolutionary Era. Made up of both black and white abolitionists, this movement had its roots in the 1730s when Quakers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania became convinced that the institution of slavery was at odds with their belief in spiritual equality. Armed with those beliefs, Quakers worked dili- gently throughout the 18th century to abolish slavery. Quakers from Philadelphia organized the first anti-slavery society in 1775, and other anti-slavery societies soon formed. The Anti-
Slavery Movement drew all types of people–Blacks and Whites, men and women, southern- ers and northerners. By the middle of the 19th century, leaders of the movement included William Lloyd Garrison, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, and Frederick Douglass. Abolitionists fought slavery in many ways; they organized conventions, boycotted southern goods, pub- lished books and newspapers preaching about the evils of slavery, assisted the escape of enslaved people on the Underground Railroad, and organized political parties. What was going on that was historically significant? Slavery What did they do that was significant and why was it significant? Freedom for slaves
What ongoing legacy do they have or should they have? Henson made several trips and led over 200 slaves to Canada. During his time in Canada, Josiah Henson started the Dawn Institute in Chatham, Ontario, a refuge for fugitive slaves where they were taught trades to support themselves and their families. When Henson went to the World's Fair in London, he became the first ex-slave to be granted an audience with Queen Victoria. He is also believed to be the model for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's antislavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Josiah Henson was a true hero and humanitarian during the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. He was an 18th century Black abolitionist.
The first anti-slavery law in Canada was passed in 1783 by then Ontario.
For the next 68 years it is estimated that 50,000 Blacks entered Canada for safety and freedom. One of them was Josiah Henson, a former slave from Kentucky. During his lifetime, three masters owned Henson. Henson started preaching to raise money in the hope of buying his freedom. His master took the money that Josiah had earned, and then raised the price of Henson's freedom to $1,000.
He returned to his master's plantation after a plot to secretly sell Josiah fell through, where he informed his wife of his plan to escape. Soon after he, his wife, and their four children escaped to Canada. On their journey to freedom, the Henson family struggled through sickness, wolves, and starvation. A tribe of Native Americans assisted the family along the way. Finally on October 28, 1830, after many hardships, they reached freedom. He stayed in Canada only a short time before he decided to get involved with the Underground
Railroad.