Josiah Henson

     He fought for Canada in the 1837 rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie, who was supported by some Americans. His most spectacular feat at this time was the capture of the enemy American ship, the Anne, which was threatening the town of Sandwich. To Henson and other Blacks in Canada, success for Mackenzie meant victory for the U.S. republic and a return to slavery.

     Henson has been described as "a Canadian pioneer in adult education." The school known as the British American Institute, which he was most instrumental in establishing at Dawn (Dresden), Ontario, "anticipated by nearly three quarters of a century the first Canadian system of technical training."

     Henson also administered to the spiritual needs of Blacks in various communities. He served as pastor of the British Methodist Episcopal Church at Dawn for many years. Located at Dresden, Henson's home, known as Uncle Tom's Cabin, is now a museum with displays that illustrate various aspects of the life led by nineteenth-century Blacks in that area. In 1965, his grave was declared an historic site.