Additional information
by Edna Troiano (Author)
Josiah Henson was born into slavery in La Plata, Maryland, and auctioned off as a child to pay his owner's debt. After numerous trials and abuse, he earned the trust of his slaveholder by exhibiting intelligence and skill.
Daringly, he escaped to Canada with his wife and children. There he established a settlement and school for fugitives and repeatedly returned to the United States to help lead others to freedom along the Underground Railroad. He published a bestselling autobiography and became a popular preacher, lecturer, and international celebrity. He is immortalized as the inspiration for the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Author Edna M. Troiano recounts the amazing life of Maryland's Josiah Henson and explores the sites devoted to his memory.
Author Biography
Edna M. Troiano, who holds a PhD in comparative literature, is Professor Emerita from the College of Southern Maryland, where she chaired the Department of Languages and Literature from 1986 to 2006. She coauthored two college rhetoric texts (Write to Know and The Contemporary Writer) and coedited an anthology of Christmas literature (The Roads from Bethlehem). Her articles, book reviews and essays have been published widely in academic journals and popular magazines. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Pete; her son, Leo; and her brilliant and beautiful golden retriever, Penelope.
