North Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Who Was Josiah Henson?
Born in 1789 in Maryland to enslaved parents, Josiah Henson lived in slavery until 1830. For most of that time, he worked and lived on the Isaac Riley plantation, where he sustained humiliation, deprivation, and crippling violence. After a life of extraordinary hardship, Henson escaped to Canada, then published his memoir (or life story) in 1849. His story inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 abolitionist novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
[Captions:]
Frederick Douglass noted Henson "
is said to be the original Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Erected 2021 by Montgomery Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the Maryland, Montgomery Parks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1789.
Location. 39° 2.715′ N, 77° 7.183′ W. Marker is in North Bethesda, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It is at the intersection of Nicholson Lane and Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187), on the right when traveling west on Nicholson Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: How Did Josiah Henson Help Free Enslaved People? (within shouting distance of this marker); Maryland: Confederate or Union State? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Farm Road Bed (about 700 feet away); Preserving the Riley-Bolten House (about 700 feet away); Whose House Was This? (about 700 feet away); A Royal Audience (about 700 feet away); Return to the Riley Farm (about 700 feet away); The Meathouse: A Food Vault (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in North Bethesda.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 483 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
