JOSIAH HENSON
Josiah Henson was born into slavery on a plantation in Charles County, Maryland on June 15, 1789. From an early age, Josiah experienced the cruelty and brutality of slavery. He and his mother were sold at a slave auction, to Isaac Riley, when he was still a young boy.
Josiah saw many slaves whipped and beaten. He watched their reactions and concluded that if he was loyal and worked hard, he would stay out of trouble and avoid the same fate.
Josiah's earliest tasks were to hold a horse and plough, weed row after row of corn and carry water to the field hands. As he grew older and proved his loyalty, he was given the job of caring for Riley's horse. Before long, he was dispatched to the fields to hoe crops under the blazing sun from dawn to dusk.
Josiah learned about God from his mother. While still a young man, he began to preach the gospel. Eventually, he became a minister.
With the exception of harvest time, when the slaves were fed three times a day, Josiah ate his meals at twelve noon and after the day's work was done. There was no breakfast before his morning in the fields. He wore a pair of pantaloons and sometimes a shirt. He slept in a log hut, or on the ground, whichever was available. The huts had no floors and men, women and children occupied the shelters, usually a dozen or more in one dwelling. There was no privacy. Beds were made out of old rags and straw. At times a single blanket was provided. the huts had no insulation and snow and rain often blew into the shelter, soaking the dirt floor.
While still a child, Josiah saw his father punished for protecting his mother from an overseer. The man had his ear cut off and received a hundred lashes. He was then sold "south." Josiah never saw his father again.
Riley trusted Josiah. As a young man he was given the job of managing the other slaves. Josiah deamed of becoming successful. Riley soon gave Josiah even more responsibility. He sent Josiah to Washington D.C. on sales trips. There Josiah's dream were shattered. He saw African Americans living their lives in deplorable conditions. The wages were minimal and living conditions were horrific. Josiah was fairly comfortable on the Riley plantation. He began to fear freedom.
I wasn't long until Isaac Riley fell on hard times and sold many of his slaves. Those he kept, Josiah and his family among them, were moved south to the plantation of his brother, Amos Riley.
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