History Matters!
Ideas, Notes, and News About History Education
Volume 26 Number 5
January 2014
Classroom Applications
The Underground Railroad and Black History Beyond our Border
Tina Storer and Joshua Tataran
Center for Canadian-American Studies
Western Washington University
February is Black History Month and an important time to make connections to Canada in classrooms. As Martin Luther
King once said, “Over and above any kinship of U.S. citizens and Canadians as North Americans, there is a singular
historical relationship between American Negroes and Canadians. Canada is not merely a neighbor to Negroes….Deep in
our history of struggle for freedom Canada was the North Star….The freedom road links us together. Heaven was the
word for Canada and the Negro sang of the hope that his escape on the Underground Railroad would carry him
there.”(Conscience for Change, published by CBC Learning Systems, 1967 Massey Lectures)
Canada and its important role in the desire and quest for freedom are vital but often overlooked considerations when
teaching about the Underground Railroad. Students taking armchair journeys on the UGRR ought to know that Canada
was more than just one of the possible final destinations; it was, in fact, the UGRR “home office” for seventeen
years. History, as well as modern sources such the filmTwelve Years a Slave, tells us that Canada—and Canadians—not
only impacted the success of the Underground Railroad but also inspired slaves to seek freedom. Those who crossed the
border for safety and even settled in Canada had experiences that are noteworthy. Let’s look past the 49th Parallel now
to consider just a few of the many stories worth telling.
As most know, between 1440 to the late 1800s, millions of black Africans were captured and sent by ship under
primitive conditions to the New World where they were sold as slaves to work on sugar and other crop plantations. Only
15 million survived the journey and, because of the harsh living conditions and cruelty they faced in their new
homeland, many more died from disease and exhaustion after arriving. It is admittedly not as straightforward to discuss
the status of slavery in Canada during the same period since its own nation-building and governance changed hands
between the French and the British, but certainly Louis XIV of France allowed and even encouraged slavery to further
establish the colony of New France. Since fur-trading was the key economic support in the region, alliances with
Aboriginal peoples was more practical than importing slaves. Eventually, the number of slaves in other parts of Canada
increased due to the slave trade and migrations of Loyalists who brought their slaves with them from the United States
following the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812; however, the reliance on and acceptance of slave labor in Canada
never approached the levels seen in the United States. This was primarily because, in Canada, there was no
agricultural/economic basis for mass labor and, perhaps more relevant, was the fact that many Canadians felt that
slavery was unethical and unjust—like so many in the northern United States. In fact, when Upper Canada (now known
as Ontario) convened its first legislature in 1793, a law prohibiting the introduction of more slaves was passed that also
allowed for the gradual emancipation of slaves born after that date. Britain took note and its Parliament officially
abolished the slave trade in 1807 and abolished slavery in 1834. These laws allowed blacks to live as free citizens in
Canada and gave hope to slaves in the south for freedom. Canada became a symbol of hope. Slaves sang of Canada as
“Canaan” in their spirituals and marked this land of freedom as the “North Star” on quilts that mapped routes to the
“Promised Land”.
Underground Railroad Routes
The most intriguing feature of the Underground Railroad was its lack of formal organization. It was a loosely constructed
network of escape routes that originated in the southern United States, wound its way to the less-restricted North and
eventually stretched to Canada. First established by sympathetic abolitionists who hid and guided freedom seekers as
early as the 1500s, the UGRR reached its “passenger” peak between 1830 and 1865. The system’s success ultimately
relied on the cooperation and trust among various religious and ethnic groups who moved former slaves and bondsmen
toward the North Star through their highly secretive network. Canada was not merely an end-goal since Canadians also
worked steadfastly among them. The government supported this effort and in 1833, for example, Upper Canada
famously refused to extradite two fugitive slaves: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, who were the principals of a mob
rescue in Detroit and wanted back in the United States. Also, in 1838, prompted by the case of Jesse Happy, a fugitive
slave who had escaped to Canada, the British government concluded that a slave extradition request from the United
States must show evidence that the person committed a crime that was recognized in Canada as such. Slavery, and
therefore escape, was not recognized. These are just a few examples of the many decisive actions that Canada and
Canadians took as freedom fighters.
Harriet Tubman
Mary Ann Shadd
Alexander Ross
Many of the UGRR’s great conductors were either Canadian themselves or had significant ties to Canada. Notable
conductors included former slaves who had found freedom on the UGRR, as well as whites and free blacks who felt
passionately about the cause. Of the escaped slaves who settled in Canada at least temporarily, Harriet Tubman
continues to be the most well-known. After her escape, she vowed to help others as well and risked her life numerous
times by crossing the border to conduct newly-escaped slaves to freedom. Despite Tubman’s worldwide renown, few
realize that her center of operations was located in St. Catharines, Ontario for 17 years. From there, Tubman could
openly utilize Canada’s resources and Canadians’ support to make the lives of African- Americans better.
Mary Ann Shadd is well known in Canada but less so in the United States. She was a free black when she traveled to
Windsor, Ontario and set up shop to help educate and integrate blacks in Canada. Her role was highly controversial at
the time, but her perseverance led to great accomplishment. She also practiced law and journalism along with her
teaching and abolitionist activities. She published a newspaper called “The Provincial Freeman” and became the first
female publisher in Canada and the first black female publisher in North America. In 1840, after her husband died, she
returned to the northern United States and established a school for black children. She remained a dedicated educator
for the rest of her life.
Alexander Ross, a doctor, made it his mission to help slaves escape to Canada, his home country. Using bird-watching as
a cover, he would travel to the United States to divulge information to runaways about which routes to take as well as
provide supplies such as food, weapons, and a compass for the journey. He well represents the impressive number of
heroes who served the UGRR without fear for personal safety. One can only guess at how many people he helped.
Due to its cloak of secrecy, it is impossible to accurately report on numbers relating to the Underground Railroad, but
historians believe that some 40,000 freedom seekers made it to Canada. Of course, a substantial black population of
free citizens established itself in Canada, most significantly in Upper Canada (Southwestern Ontario). Several black
settlements were established to accommodate the new population. The Dawn Settlement, founded by Josiah Henson,
who is believed to be the basis for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s character, Uncle Tom, in her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is one
of the most well-known. After escaping slavery, Henson settled near Dresden, Ontario where he helped other escaped
slaves learn about land ownership and the importance of education. The Dawn Settlement, and others like it, made it
easier for escaped slaves to prepare for their new lives outside of slavery. More than mere re-settlement camps, these
communities were supported in their development by Canada. Of course, with improved civil rights following the Civil
War, many former slaves, like Mary Ann Shadd, returned to the post bellum United States to reconnect with family.
Dawn Settlement
Many abolitionist groups were also founded, such as the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada and the Refugee Slaves’ Friend
Society, as the population of escaped slaves grew in Canada. Some of these groups were religion-based, including the
British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada, which actually united churches on both sides of the border in their antislavery cause.
Abolitionists in Canada were vocal across the continent in their attempts to aid the Underground Railroad and to end
slavery in the United States altogether. Multiple newspapers and autobiographies were published in Canada because of
the greater acceptance of anti-slavery material there, as compared to the United States These publications helped draw
worldwide attention to the horrors of slavery. Some Canadians (white, free black, and escaped slaves) joined the Union
Army during the Civil War. Some joined colored regiments, such as the 54th Massachusetts (Colored) Regiment. All were
prepared to sacrifice their lives so that others could be free. Most probably did.
54th Massachusetts Regiment
As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to share stories like these from beyond our border and to
acknowledge Canada’s role in this important period of North American history. Our northern neighbor not only provided
a safe destination for escaped slaves, but individual Canadians advocated against slavery and became personally
involved in helping slaves find safe passage to Canada. Imagine how different things might have been had Canada, and
Canadians, ignored their southern neighbor and not been so supportive of the anti-slavery movement. Would Harriet
Tubman have found as safe a haven and been able to lead hundreds of slaves to freedom as effectively? Without so
many activist publications and such political pressure from international circles, might slavery have continued longer? In
an ideal world, one of the legacies of this period would be for us to note how consistently Canadians have stood ready to
defend great endeavors like this. Perhaps it is time that we give them credit for it.
Related Topics:
Black Loyalists: http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/blackloyalists/index.htm
Africville: www.africville.ca/index.html
Wilberforce Colony: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7ReFDa58yY
Sources and Resources:
The Underground Railway and Black Migration in North America: Following the "North Star" Beyond the 49th Parallel –
A Teacher’s Resource Guideby Tina Storer (WWU, 2006) – To be posted atwww.k12studycanada.org.
The Underground Railroad...Then What Happened? by Dean June and Ruth
Writerwww.k12studycanada.org/files/teachmodules/UGRR_Then_What_Happened_Article-June_and_Writer.pdf
Black History Canada—Timeline: http://blackhistorycanada.ca/timeline.php?id=1800
Early Black Canadian History: www.k12studycanada.com/files/EarlyBlackCanadianHistory.pdf
Mary Ann Shadd: http://blackhistorycanada.ca/profiles.php?themeid=20&id=5
Slavery in Canada: www.bccns.com/history/slavery
The Underground Railroad: www.heritagetrust.on.ca/Slavery-to-Freedom/History/The-Underground-Railroad.aspx