The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada

A young Josiah Henson recounts his early years on a Maryland farm, where his father endures a savage punishment for defending his mother from an overseer’s cruelty. The brutal aftermath shatters his family, sending his father away and leaving the children under the care of a comparatively kind doctor. In those sparse, tender moments, Henson’s mother instills deep religious devotion, and his own curiosity is nurtured by the doctor’s unexpected generosity.

The narrative then turns to a sudden tragedy: the doctor’s accidental death and the ensuing auction that tears the household apart. Henson vividly portrays the fear and uncertainty that grip the enslaved community when a seemingly stable existence is ripped up. Listeners are drawn into a personal testimony that shines a light on the stark realities of bondage, the resilience of family bonds, and the courage required to confront a life reshaped by loss and oppression.