"My Name Is Not Tom" (Paperback)

Susan Cooke Soderberg

ISBN 10: 164712610X / ISBN 13: 9781647126100

Published by Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. The first biography to rescue the true story of Josiah Henson, restoring to history his role in the Underground RailroadJosiah Henson led a fascinating lifefrom the plantation fields of Maryland to the Georgetown Market to the plantations of Kentucky to escaping to freedom in Canada to being introduced to the Queen in England. Born enslaved, Henson eventually escaped and became a respected minister and famed secular leader."My Name Is Not Tom" is a biography of Josiah Henson, the man catapulted into fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe noted that certain events in his life partially influenced the development of her fictional character Uncle Tom. While previous biographies have relied heavily on Henson's four autobiographies, which replicated the myth that he was the sole inspiration for Stowe's character, "My Name Is Not Tom" uses new primary source research to fill in the untold parts of his extraordinary life and examine his views of slavery and morality, which changed substantially over the course of his life. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781647126100

Bibliographic Details

• Title: "My Name Is Not Tom" (Paperback)
• Publisher: Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 164712610X
• ISBN 13: 9781647126100
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The first biography to rescue the true story of Josiah Henson, restoring to history his role in the Underground Railroad

Josiah Henson led a fascinating life―from the plantation fields of Maryland to the Georgetown Market to the plantations of Kentucky to escaping to freedom in Canada to being introduced to the Queen in England. Born enslaved, Henson eventually escaped and became a respected minister and famed secular leader.

"My Name Is Not Tom" is a biography of Josiah Henson, the man catapulted into fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe noted that certain events in his life partially influenced the development of her fictional character Uncle Tom. While previous biographies have relied heavily on Henson's four autobiographies, which replicated the myth that he was the sole inspiration for Stowe's character, "My Name Is Not Tom" uses new primary source research to fill in the untold parts of his extraordinary life and examine his views of slavery and morality, which changed substantially over the course of his life.

About the Author

Susan Cooke Soderberg retired as a historian with the Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission and has written several books on state and local history.