Josiah Henson (b. 1789 - d. 1883)
MSA SC 5496-8783
Fled from slavery, Kentucky, 1830
Biograhpy:
Josiah Henson was born in Charles County on June
15, 1789 on
the farm of Francis Newman. According to Henson’s narrative, his father
was the
property of Newman, while his mother was the property of a Mr. Josiah
McPherson, also of Charles County; Henson’s mother was hired by Newman,
but
because of the practices of the time, Henson was the property of
McPherson. A
fight involving Henson’s father and one of Newman’s overseers resulted
in his
father’s ear being cut off, fifty lashes being applied to his back, and
sold
further south to Alabama.1 Henson’s
owner McPherson pulled Henson and
his mother from Newman’s possession shortly after the incident when he
was
around the age of three.
Henson stayed with McPherson, who Henson claims
bestowed the
name Josiah on him,2 until he was
five or so when his master died.
Henson and his family were split apart at the sale of McPherson’s
estate.
Henson became the property of a Mr. Robb, but soon after the sale,
Henson
became very ill, and was sold to a Mr. Isaac Riley of Montgomery
County. Riley
was the new owner of Henson’s mother, and under her care Henson made a
full
recovery.3
As Henson got older, Riley trusted him to be his
personal
servant, and overseer of the other slaves. Because of his “elevated”
position
among the slaves, Riley asked Henson to transport his slaves to his
brother’s
care in Kentucky.4 Riley was involved
in a legal dispute with his
brother-in-law and instead of conceding his property, Isaac Riley
allowed Henson
to take the slaves to his brother Amos. Even though the trail to
Kentucky
passed through free state Ohio, Henson stayed faithful to the promise
he made
to his master and delivered the slaves to Kentucky in 1825.5
After three years in Kentucky, Henson became heavily involved in preaching in the Methodist sect, a religion he was introduced to in his youth, and a white minister suggested that he petition for his freedom from his master.6 Amos Riley allowed Henson to return to Maryland and ask Isaac Riley if he could purchase his freedom. Henson, who had already saved two hundred and fifty dollars from his preaching, made it back to Maryland and negotiated with Isaac Riley a three hundred and fifty dollar purchase of freedom. Happy with the prospects of becoming a free man, Henson’s joy was destroyed when he learned that Isaac told his brother Amos that the price of purchase was actually one thousand dollars7.
Henson’s life as a slave continued further south into Louisiana. Henson later escaped to Canada from New Orleans, and lived the rest of his days as a minister in Ontario. In 1849 Boston publisher Arthur D. Phelps printed the self-narrated story of the life of Josiah Henson. That story is said to have been the inspiration for the world famous character Uncle Tom, of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852. After the publication of the his first narrative, there were subsequent editions of his life story published in 1858 and 1876 before his death in 1883.
Return
to Josiah Henson's Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|