The Village Squire, 1981-10, Page 11The nationally known
Canada, winning his freedom at last.
While working on a farm near Fort Erie,
he decided to form a black colony, where
his people could be self-sufficient. With
financial assistance from British and New
England abolitionists, the British Ameri-
can Institute was established south of the
Sydenham River, near the present town of
Dresden.
A fugitive's cabin, as the museum
shows, was spartan at best. The rough-
hewn log cabins contained only makeshift
furniture and the bare necessities for
housekeeping, but for the former slaves,
freedom was far more valuable than the
comforts of life.
Once the settlement was established,
Henson started a series of speaking tours
in the U.S. On one visit to New England,
his life story was published by the
Anti -Slavery Society of Boston to further
the abolitionist cause. One reader caught
by the drama of the story was Harriet
Beecher Stowe, herself the daughter of a
minister and a strong abolition supporter.
Mrs. Stowe had already written several
minor magazine articles on abolition, but
she decided to tackle a longer tale
illustrating the evils of slavery. When the
first chapters of the book were serialized
they created a sensation, Uncle Tom. The
slave girl Eliza who escapes across the ice
floes of the Ohio River with her baby in
her arms and the cruel Simon Legree
became as celebrated as any of Charles
Dickens' creations.
When critics complained slavery
couldn't be as horrendous as shown in the
novel, Mrs. Stowe published The Key To
Uncle Tom's Cabin. A rare copy of the
book, located in Philadelphia in the
1920 s, is on display in the Dresden
museum.
Unfortunately while the minister was
away publicizing the colony's work, the
market for the mill's products declined,
and the men Henson had left behind to
look after his business failed him. When
Rev. Henson returned to Dresden, he
found the institute hopelessly in debt, and
many of its assets had to be sold.
In the 1870 s, the minister made his last
trip to England and this speaking tour
netted him enough to pay off his debts and
set aside money for his retirement. While
(cont. on page 14)
historic site
at Dresden, Ontario
Built in 1842, Uncle Tom's house was covered with tulip wood siding, and you can
still see the handmade square nails used in the construction. The plain residence is
furnished with some of the minister's favourite belongings including the rocker
where he often sat in thought. [Photo by Gibb)
VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1981 PG. 9