Uncle Tom's Story of His Life

The character Uncle Tom is based on the life of Josiah Henson (1789-1882). He was born in Maryland, but managed to escape to Dresden, Ontario, Canada in 1830. In 1841, a group of abolitionists, including Henson, created a community/school for runaway slaves called the British-American Institute for Fugitive Slaves. After emancipation, many of the former slaves returned to the United States, though Henson remained in Canada until his death in 1882.