Browse Items (33 total)

This image of Joseph Papineau was painted 26 years after he presented the citizen's petition endorsing the abolition of slavery in Lower Canada.

This is a map of the Saint John River and its tributaries in New Brunswick created in 1788.  It is thought to be the first map of this area that was relatively unknown by Whites until it was settled by United Empire Loyalists from the United States…

Advertisements of runaway slaves of this sort were common before 1833 when the British abolished slavery. The format of the ad is also common, giving a description of runaway, Henry Jones, and threats to anyone who might aid in his concealment.…

This word cloud is based on Volume II of Robert Charles Dallas's 1803 publication History of the Maroons.  This 940-page book of letters demonstrates an Enlightenment-influenced style of writing.  He is sympathetic to the rights of the oppressed and…

The then British colony of Jamaica had a significant population of escaped American and West Indies slaves, called Maroons, who lived there in freedom. Some had lived in Jamaica for generations. After an unsuccessful revolt against the British…

This extract from the title page of the Book of Negroes is taken from the British version of this document. Two of these hand-written records were made simultaneously - one by the British and one by the Americans - listing the names and descriptions…

Black Loyalists came from the United States to Canada after the American Revolution. This pass was a standard form to which the name of the specific Black loyalist was affixed, along with the date. The requirement to enter "He" or "She" at the…

Ships built in Europe travelled a roughly triangular route around the Atlantic during the 1600s and 1700s, and they rarely travelled empty. They carried guns, luxury items and manufactured goods to Africa, the West Indies and North America. In…

Marie Joseph Angelique was a Black slave woman living in Montreal in the early eighteenth century. She was accused of setting fire to her mistress’s house and, in doing so, burning down half of what is now Old Montreal. She was tried in a court of…

Marie Joseph Angélique was a Black slave woman living in Montreal in the early eighteenth century. She was accused of setting fire to her mistress’s house and, in doing so, burning down half of what is now Old Montreal. She was tried in a court of…