@Sturgis,
Josiah Henson was born into slavery June 15, 1789, in Port Tobacco, Maryland. While still a slave, in 1828 Henson became a preacher for the Methodist Episcopal Church and was eventually able to earn the $350 he needed to buy his freedom. His master took the money, but then raised the price to $1,000. In 1830 Henson fled to Canada with his family, where he became involved in the Underground Railroad, leading nearly 200 slaves to freedom.
