Feb 10, 2012
Hi...
Today's post is about The Underground Railroad, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, (1811-1896), and their connection to the Niagara Escarpment, (Canada's Golden Horseshoe)...
"Today the novel is often labeled condescending, but its characters still have the power to move our hearts. Though “Uncle Tom” has become a synonym for a fawning black yes-man, Stowe's Tom is actually American literature's first black hero." Resource: http://americancivilwar.com/women/hbs.html
"After meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe in Boston, Henson became the model for the character of Uncle Tom in Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin , published in 1852. Henson, with the help of abolitionists, purchased a 200 acre property and founded the British American Institute, a school and place of refuge for former slaves.Today Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site commemorates the life of Reverend Josiah Henson, founder of Dawn Institute Settlement and his contributions to the famous Underground Railroad. This historic site is a dynamic cultural tourism attraction and legacy of early black history."
http://www.soto.on.ca/canadas_most_southern_point/dresden.html |
"Buffalo and Rochester, NY played a
leading role in the Underground Railroad movement because of their
proximity US/Canadian border. Another of the "major stations was
in St. Catherines,
Ontario (near Niagara Falls,
ON). "...the foot of Ferry Street and the Black Rock Canal) was a
site for a crossing the Niagara River into Canada." Resource: http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/UndergroundRailRoad.html
It is a well-accepted
fact that Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledged that her inspiration to write Uncle Tom's Cabin was based upon Josiah Henson's autobiography.
Born in Maryland, Josiah Henson worked as a slave for forty-one years. In 1830, he and his family escaped to Upper Canada (Ontario) via the Underground Railroad. Initially, the Henson family settled near Fort Erie, Ontario, where Josiah gained
employment through a local farmer. The family then moved to Colchester, in Essex County, where they settled on previously cleared lots. After a period of seven years, Josiah Henson aspired to obtain his own land. In 1841, he moved his family to Dresden and helped to establish the Dawn Settlement. The settlement was established to provide a refuge and a new beginning for former slaves. Through his leadership, the British American Institute, one of Canada's first industrial schools, was founded. The school was intended for the advancement of fugitive slaves. Josiah Henson's name became synonymous with the central character "Uncle Tom" in Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. The novel sold 300,000 copies within the first year and helped to raise awareness to the brutality of slavery. Abraham Lincoln credited the book as being a catalyst of the Civil War. In 1983, Josiah Henson became the first person of African descent to be featured on a Canadian stamp. In 1999, the Government of Canada erected a plaque designating him as a Canadian of National Historical Significance. The plaque stands in the Henson family cemetery.
Resource: http://www.uncletomscabin.org/history.htm
So, I think the info in today's posting's info is "Some Kind of Wonderful" - seque to tomorrow's post, based, (pardon the pun), upon some of the world-famous musicians who were home-grown in our own backyard - right here in Canada's Golden Horseshoe - one of them being Mr. "Some Kind of Wonderful" himself, John Ellison, another being Dan Lanois, (U2), Skip Prokop (Lighthouse), David Clayton Thomas (Blood, Sweat and Tears), Steve Negus (Saga), Ian Thomas, John Fanning, Dave Rave (TeenAge Head) - & sooooooo many, many more!!!
'til next time!
Patti Zonta
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