The Life of Josiah Henson

The story of Uncle Tom is inspired by the real-life Josiah Henson, who escaped slavery and settled in Canada in 1830. In 1841, he co-founded the British-American Institute for Fugitive Slaves, a community and school for runaway slaves. Henson and his fellow abolitionists developed the land by constructing a grist mill and a saw mill. While many former slaves returned to the U.S. after emancipation, Henson chose to stay in Canada, where he lived until his death in 1882, embodying the spirit of resilience and community among escaped slaves.