Enslaved; Abolitionist; Methodist Preacher; Underground Railroad conductor; Founder of the Dawn Settlement; Entrepreneur; Author. Presented by the Josiah Henson Museum and Park in Montgomery County.

Josiah Henson, born into slavery and scarred by brutal abuse, overcame illiteracy and physical hardship to gain his freedom, learn to read, and become a Methodist preacher and community leader. A man of unwavering moral principles, he repeatedly returned to the United States via the Underground Railroad to help fugitives settle in Canada, founded the Dawn Settlement, and published an 1849 autobiography that inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin. His story profoundly influenced the abolitionist movement; Abraham Lincoln even credited Henson’s narrative, alongside Uncle Tom, as a catalyst for the Civil War. Henson traveled internationally to raise funds, met Queen Victoria and U.S. President Hayes, and devoted his later years to advancing education until his death.