The first substantial settle of Blacks in Canada occurred at the end of the American Revolution. Some like Richard Pierpoint am enslaved man who had gained his freedom by fighting for the British in that war. Most, however, were enslaved people brought there as spoils of war or as property of Loyalists.
About 500-700 Blacks lived in Upper Canada (Ontario) by the time Lieutenant-Governor John Simcoe arrived there in 1792. He wished to abolish slavery entirely, but the legislature of Upper Canada opposed many of his reforms.
Many of the members of both houses either had slaves themselves or were from slave owning families and were concerned over the economic impact of abolition. As a result, when the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada passed on 9 July 1793, it severely limited Simcoe's intentions.
It banned the further importation of slaves and limited the terms of enslavement to nine years.
--Brock-Perry
No comments:
Post a Comment