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Josiah Henson: Josiah Henson Was Born Into Slavery, In Charles County, Maryland, On This Date In 1789, In 1830, Via The Underground Railroad, Henson Escaped With His Family To Ontario, Canada, After His Master Decided To Sell His Children. He Established A Settlement For Runaway Slaves Near The Canadian Town Of Dresdan And Returned South Many Times To Free Other Slaves. Henson Also Went To Britain To Raise Funds For A Vocational School For Former Slaves, Uncle Tom's British Institute, As The School Was Named, Became Canada's First Vocational Institution. Henson Died In 1883, At The Age Of 94. His Headstone Read Simply, "Uncle Tom." Prior To His Death, Henson Had Become The Inspiration For Harriet Beecher Stowe's Fictional Hero, Uncle Tom, The Book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Published In 1852. "In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.