Josiah Henson was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland in 1789. Soon after, he was sold to Isaas Riley who was a particulary cruel slave owner. When he tried to buy his freedom but was tricked out of it, he fled with his family on the underground railroad to Canada. He settled in Dresden and set about the goal of establishing a school to teach former slaves to read and write. It became known as the British American Institute and opened it's doors in 1842.