Henry Bibb

Henry Bibb was born in Shelby County, Kentucky in 10th May, 1815. His father was state senator James Bibb. His mother, Mildred Jackson, a slave, worked on the plantation owned by Willard Gatewood, and had seven children.

As a child, Bibb saw his brothers and sisters sold to different slave owners. Bibb was hired out to various slave holders and had little contact with his mother.Bibb married in his late teens but was furious when his wife's owner forced her to become a prostitute. After making several attempts to escape he was finally successful in 1837. Six months later he returned and helped his family escape, but they were caught and sold to aplantation owner in Vicksburg, Ohio.Once again the family attempted to escape but were captured after being attacked by wolves. Bibb was then sold to a group of Native Americans. After escaping from them he began his long and unsuccessful attempt to rescue the rest of the family. 

In 1842 Bibb began lecturing on slavery and along with Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown, became one of the best known of the African American activists. Bibb also worked for the Liberty Party in Michigan. During one lecture tour he met Mary Miles of Boston and the couple married in June, 1848. The following year theAnti-Slavery Society published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave.

In January 1851, Bibb joined with Josiah Henson to form the Refugees' Home Colony in Canada for escaped slaves. He also established Canada's first African American newspaper, the Voice of the Fugitive. Martin Delaney, was one of the newspaper's regular contributors. During this period Bibb led the campaign to persuade fugitive slaves and free African Americans to settle in Canada. Henry Bibb died during the summer of 1854.