02/07/2022
Josiah Henson (1789-1883). Canadian community builder.
Josiah Henson, (born June 15, 1789, Charles county, Maryland, U.S.—died May 5, 1883, Dresden, Ontario, Canada), American labourer and clergyman who escaped slavery in 1830 and found refuge in Canada, where he became the driving force behind the Dawn Settlement, a model community for former slaves. He was also involved in the Underground Railroad, and he served as a model for the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1851–52).
In Canada Henson became a leader among the growing number of fugitive slaves. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Dawn Settlement in Dresden, Ontario. Its goal was to employ and educate former slaves, and a focal point of the settlement was the British-American Institute, an industrial school. To secure financial backing for the community, Henson made a number of trips to the United States and Great Britain. In 1851 he was granted a personal audience with Queen Victoria.Henson’s autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, was published in 1849; it was subsequently reprinted under a variety of titles. Stowe cited the work among her sources for Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In 1983 Henson became the first black person to be featured on a Canadian postage stamp.
Source: Britannica.com/biography/Josiah-Henson
