Josiah Henson’s Story of His Own Life – 1858 | Slave Narrative | Uncle Tom’s Inspiration

Josiah Henson’s Autobiography, also known as Father Henson’s story of his own life, was a 19^th-century personal slavery narrative known to have been the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

His autobiography is one of the most complete slave narratives of the 19th-century, even though it was not popular until after 1852, when Stowe’s Cabin was published. It clearly shows the injustices of slavery, the struggles for freedom, and the daring escape to Canada. An impressive and highly desirable anti-slavery account.

This 1858 edition was the first edition published following the success of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Father Henson’s story of his own life : with an introduction
• Author(s): Josiah Henson
• Contributor(s): Harriet Beecher Stowe (Introduction)
• Publisher: Boston, Cleveland, John P. Jewett ; Henry P.B. Jewett
• Edition: 1858
• Format: (12mo), single volume
• Binding: Brown cloth
• Size:  7.75in x 5.25in (19.7 cm x 13.3 cm)
• Collation: xii, 212 pp
• Illustrations: portrait frontispiece
• Contents Include:
  • Early Bondage and Family Life
  • Escape and Resettlement in Canada
  • Moral and Religious Themes
  • Introduction by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Provenance:
  • signed – George Steven, 1858.
  • Ephemera – newspaper article referencing Stowe and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
• Reference(s): Sabin 31433

Condition:

Very Good. Bound in brown cloth with spine and hinges secure. Minimal external wear. Interior clean, complete, and free from markings. Portrait frontispiece intact. Tight overall presentation.

Why Collect This?

• First edition published after the success of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Features an introduction by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Published by same publisher as Cabin

Item Number: #29176