Although Josiah Henson could technically be considered an American, being born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped north to Canada and became a free man, living here for the rest of his life.
Actually, it is the life of Josiah Henson that inspired the anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, it's a story which is reputed to have started the 1861 U.S. Civil War.
Henson was enslaved for more than 40 years but escaped in 1830 to "Upper Canada" (Southern Ontario). He established a community called Dawn, near the town of Dresden, where he welcomed other fugitive slaves and built an industrial school.
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| Nancy and Josiah Henson |
As mentioned, Henson was the inspiration for "Uncle Tom's Cabin" but other notable moments in his life included having once had a private audience with Queen Victoria while seeking funds for his school and being the first black man to be featured on a Canadian stamp. Henson also lived to the ripe old age of 93, a feat in itself!
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| Josiah Henson meets Queen Victoria in 1851 |
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