From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Josiah Henson was enslaved when he was brought to the Riley Plantation in Owensboro, KY. He was born near Charles County, Maryland.

Henson escaped to Canada and returned many times to lead his family and others to freedom. He also spoke at abolition meetings and was a preacher and leader among Africans in Canada. Henson is believed to have been portrayed as the Uncle Tom character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

For more see The Life of Josiah Henson, by J. Henson in UK Libraries (circulating copy and in Special Collections), in nearby libraries, and online at Project Gutenberg and other locations; and American Biographies, by W. Preston.