Portrait of Josiah Henson sitting next to an unidentified Caucasian man, both facing slightly left. Bradshaw & Godart (successors to the London School of Photography), 103, Newgate Street, E.C., London.

Whenever I give talks on Henson, I always describe him as follows: born enslaved in Maryland, U.S., he escaped to become first and foremost a community activist, helping other formerly enslaved people escape, learn skills and settle in his community in Canada. He was a soldier, orator, preacher and author, publishing several autobiographies, the first of which was published in 1849. It is important to recognize Henson as an activist before outlying the reason why he became so famous in both America and in Britain. Selling thousands of copies, Henson's book is said to have inspired the white author Harriet Beecher Stowe to write her famous novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852, and base the character of Tom upon Henson. Unfortunately, Henson is now known because of this white supremacist connection, rather than his incredible Black activism across three countries (America, Canada and Great Britain).

"At the Exhibition, because my boards happened to be carried over in the American ship, the superintendent of the American Department, insisted that my lumber should be exhibited in the American department. To this I objected. I was a citizen of Canada, and my boards were from Canada, and there was an apartment of the building appropriated to Canadian products. I therefore insisted that my boards should be removed from the American, to the Canadian Department. But the American said "You cannot do it. All these things are under my control. You can exhibit what belongs to you if you please, but not a single thing here must be moved an inch without my consent." I thought his position was rather absurd, but how to move him or my boards seemed just then beyond my control.

"A happy thought then occurred to me. If this Yankee wants to retain my furniture, the world shall know who it belongs to. I accordingly hired a painter to paint in good large white letters on the tops of my boards: "THIS IS THE PRODUCT OF THE INDUSTRY OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE FROM THE UNITED STATES, WHOSE RESIDENCE IS DAWN, CANADA." This was done early in the morning. In due time the American superintendent came around, and found me at my post. When he read my inscription his gaze of astonishment was laughable to witness. "Look here, Sir," said he; "What, under heaven, have you got up there?"--"O, that is only a little information to let the people know who I am."

"His face grew black as a thunder-cloud. "But don't you know better than that. Do you suppose I am going to have that insult up there?" The English gentlemen began to gather around, chuckling with half-suppressed delight, to see the wrath of the Yankee. This only added fuel to the fire. The result was, that by the next day the boards were removed to their proper place at no expense to me, and no bill was ever presented against me for carrying the lumber across the Atlantic."

"Now allow me to say that my name is not Tom, and never was Tom, and that I do not want to have any other name inserted in the newspapers for me than my own. My name is Josiah Henson, always was, and always will be. I never change my colours." [2]

"I look back from whence I came, and see by the eyes of my mind what you cannot see with your eyes, because you have not been there, and feel in my heart what you cannot feel, and I hope never will feel, and no one can feel it but the man who has had the iron through his own soul." [3]

"[The Archbishop of Canterbury] expressed the strongest interest in me, and after about a half-hours conversation, he inquired, 'At what University sir, did you graduate?" "I graduated, your Grace' said I, in reply, 'at the University of Adversity." [4]