Josiah Henson Birthplace Investigation

Since May 16 Dr. Julia King and her crew have been be working in Charles County at LaGrange, the farm on which a young Josiah Henson was enslaved.

On Wednesday, June 15, Josiah Henson's birthday, there was an Open House with ground tours and displays hosted by the Charles County NAACP and St Mary's College.  Lots of people attended.  There is even an article on the front page of the Metro Section of the June 16 Washington Post.

Dr King will continue to investigate the site through July 1.   Julie welcomes volunteers but they should let her know ahead of time when they are coming and to get directions.
The dates/ times for volunteers are
         May 16 - July 1
         Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
         8am - 4:30pm

To RSVP to volunteer to help with the investigation email jking@smcm.edu.  The Josiah Henson Birthplace site is near La Plata on private property, and parking is limited.

Progress on the investigation can be followed on twitter @HensonProject and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HensonProject/

On June 15, probably in 1796, Josiah Henson was born into slavery in Charles County.  Henson witnessed the brutal treatment of his mother by the farm’s overseer and the harsh punishment his father received trying to protect his wife.  This experience shaped Henson, who, in 1830, escaped slavery with his family and headed to Canada.  There he dictated The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849), founded a settlement for escaped slaves, and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad.