Today, July 30, 2022, the Ontario Heritage Trust announced it has renamed Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site to the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in honour of Josiah Henson.
Ontario Heritage Trust officials say this change is a positive step forward as the museum moves away from the negative connotation associated with the term ‘Uncle Tom’ and provides further recognition to an important figure in the abolition movement in the U.S. and Canada.
Josiah Henson is a celebrated figure known for his fight against American slavery, Ontario Heritage Trust officials added.
As a conductor of the Underground Railroad, he led 118 people escaping slavery to freedom in Canada, where he helped establish a community for refugees seeking a better life.
His 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, detailing his own life of enslavement and escape, was used by Harriet Beecher Stowe in the defense of her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Beecher Stowe stated that Henson’s life had provided her with “concepts and incidents” into the character of Tom.
Her book became an international bestseller and helped to propel the American Civil War.
Henson’s anti-slavery work and his connection to Beecher Stowe’s novel made him one of the most famous Canadians of his day.
“Reverend Josiah Henson was a remarkable leader who embodied bravery and perseverance,” said museum manager Steven Cook, in a media release.
“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. 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.”
Located in Dresden, the five-acre museum complex hosts Henson’s last home – a two-story cabin – as well as the church where Henson preached to his congregation, Ontario Heritage Trust officials said.
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.
The new name will better reflect the museum’s vision and mandate to educate the public about Josiah 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, Ontario Heritage Trust officials added.
Through his memoirs and speaking engagements, he helped put Canada on the map as a haven for freedom seekers.
“Josiah Henson is not well known in Canadian history. He should be,” said Beth Hanna, CEO of the Ontario Heritage Trust, in a media release.
“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.”
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, Ontario Heritage Trust officials said.
Following feedback about the term ‘Uncle Tom’, which is considered derogatory by many within the Black community, the Trust 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.
“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,” Cook added.
“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 Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History is open 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.
For more details, visit: heritagetrust.on.ca/jhm
