
In 1830, Josiah Henson, his wife, and their two youngest children took the huge risk of fleeing more than 1600 miles from Port Tobacco, Maryland, where Josiah Henson was born enslaved. Arriving in Canada, they found the freedom they wanted.
The Hensons made their home in the Dawn Settlement in Dresden, Ontario, one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad. Josiah used his talent to contribute to the community there.
Josiah Henson founded the Dawn Institute, a settlement house teaching trades to people like himself. Although this was admirable work, and Henson loved his new life in Canada, he felt guilty that so many others were still in bondage. So he did the unthinkable.
Josiah Henson would travel back to the U.S. to help guide 118 other enslaved people to freedom. His generosity and courage were believed to have inspired the character of Tom in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Josiah Henson could have stayed safe in Canada but instead risked his hard-won freedom to help other enslaved people. We can’t get so comfortable in our own lives that we forget about our people. We all want liberation, and it will take each of us to make it a reality.