The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History recognizes the accomplishments of its namesake through interpretive videos, interactive exhibits, numerous artifacts, and tours that reflect the Black experience in Canada. (Photo courtesy of Ontario Heritage Trust)
It may have taken some time but a Canadian hero is finally getting the recognition he deserves by way of a long-overdue name change.
The Ontario Heritage Trust announced that it has renamed Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site to the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in honour of its namesake. An African-Canadian leader, author, abolitionist, and minister, Henson’s life story was the inspiration for the Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
After escaping to Upper Canada (now Ontario) from slavery in Maryland and Kentucky, Henson established himself as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, which was a network of people — African-American as well as white — offering shelter and aid to people fleeing slavery from the South. In his role as conductor, he rescued 118 enslaved people. Known as “Uncle Tom” through his connection to Stowe’s novel, Henson was one of the most famous Canadians of his day. His celebrity raised international awareness of Canada as a haven for refugees from slavery.
According to History.com, enslaved people in the antebellum South constituted about one-third of the southern population. Most lived on large plantations or small farms; many masters owned fewer than 50 enslaved people. The legal institution of human slavery comprising the enslavement primarily of Africans and African-Americans was prevalent in the United States from its founding in 1619 until the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Up to 30,000 slaves fled to Canada and, as in the northern U.S., many free Blacks joined together to provide aid and advice.
The five-acre museum complex, located 106 kilometres (66 miles) northeast of Windsor, hosts Henson’s last home — a two-storey cabin — as well as the church where Henson preached to his congregation. Also on-site is the Josiah Henson Interpretive Centre, which houses a collection of artifacts associated with the abolitionist era and educational materials on the impact of slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
An Icon of Black History in Ontario
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an important anti-slavery novel that was written by Beecher Stowe in 1852. She portrayed Tom as a stoic, noble character who humanized the suffering and hardships of enslaved people. The protagonist is a Christian, heroic man who chooses death rather than reveal the hiding place of two slave women whose master had been sexually abused them.
The book was an immediate sensation and was taken up eagerly by abolitionists. This wasn’t the case in the southern states where the book, along with its author, was vehemently denounced to the point where reading or even possessing the book became dangerous. Britannica.com says the novel is credited with contributing to negative feelings against slavery and is cited by many experts to be among the causes of the American Civil War, a four-year conflict (1861–65) between the United States and 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America because they believed that slavery should continue.
Josiah Henson was an important advocate in support of literacy and education for Black Canadians and a devoted fundraiser for the institute. He travelled across Canada, the U.S. and, on three occasions, to England, in search of donations. (Photo courtesy of Ontario Heritage Trust)
While Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an important and impactful piece of American literature, the name “Uncle Tom” hasn’t aged well. Future stage depictions distorted the character into an older man with poor English skills who would sell out any Black person to win favour with his owners. As time went on the long-suffering and saintly Uncle Tom character became submissive and spineless. It is for this reason why being called an “Uncle Tom” is regarded as an insult to people of colour.
The Ontario Heritage Trust says the new name will better reflect the museum’s vision and mandate to educate the public about Henson’s legacy. Henson founded the Dawn Settlement near Dresden and helped establish the British American Institute, where the free Black population and recently settled refugees of slavery were provided an education and taught trades skills. Through his memoirs and speaking engagements, Henson helped put Canada on the map as a haven for freedom-seekers.
“We’re continuing to correct the myth behind ‘Uncle Tom’ and will use this as a teaching tool to talk about anti-Black racism and the challenges Black people are still facing today” — Steven Cook, manager of the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History
“When Beecher Stowe created ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ she intended to show the harsh realities of slavery and portrayed Uncle Tom as a man of principle who protected other enslaved people, but this was corrupted by racist anti-Tom minstrel shows that turned the character into comic relief, which is why the term is now used in a derogatory way,” says Steven Cook, manager of the Henson Museum. “We’re continuing to correct the myth behind ‘Uncle Tom’ and will use this as a teaching tool to talk about anti-Black racism and the challenges Black people are still facing today.”
The renaming effort is part of the Trust’s larger work to review all its properties and programs through an inclusive and anti-racist lens. Following feedback about the term ‘Uncle Tom,’ the organization determined that renaming the site was the best step towards addressing hurtful language while offering the opportunity to further recognize Henson as a figure of provincial, national, and international significance.
It isn’t the first name change for the museum, which first opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 1948 and went through several monikers: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (1948), “Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Museum” (1964) and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site” (1995). The Ontario Heritage Trust acquired the museum in 2005.
Reverend Josiah Henson is a Canadian Hero
After escaping to Upper Canada (now Ontario) from slavery, Josiah Henson established himself as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, travelling the clandestine network of paths and safehouses in reverse. (Photo courtesy of Ontario Heritage Trust)
“Reverend Josiah Henson was a remarkable leader who embodied bravery and perseverance. After gaining his freedom, he spent his life empowering and uplifting his community, but unfortunately, his real-life story and achievements were overshadowed by the fictional ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’,” Cook says. “During his lifetime, Henson expressed a desire to reclaim his name and legacy. We are honoured to help make this a reality here in Ontario where he chose to build a new life.”
His 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, detailing his own enslavement and escape, was used by Stowe in the defense of her novel. She stated that Henson’s life had provided her with “concepts and incidents” into the character of Tom. Henson’s anti-slavery work and his connection to Stowe’s novel made him one of the most famous Canadians of his day.
“Josiah Henson is not well known in Canadian history. He should be,” says Beth Hanna, CEO of the Ontario Heritage Trust. “His story sheds light on the realities of slavery and on those who fought for freedom for themselves and others. He worked to provide a place of safety, where Black refugees from slavery could thrive and build lives based on the opportunities provided by community, education, land and personhood.”
MORE ABOUT THE JOSIAH HENSON MUSEUM
Website: www.heritagetrust.on.ca
Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum will close for the season on October 21, 2022. Tours will be available by appointment only from November 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.
Location: 29251 Freedom Rd, Dresden, ON (see map below)
Telephone: 519-683-2978
