All Essays
Slavery & Resistance

Black People Escaped From Canada Before They Escaped To It

Slavery in colonial Canada, c. 1629–1834.

Publication date — to be added

Black People Escaped From Canada Before They Escaped To It — Essay cover

Introduction

Canada is remembered as the destination of the Underground Railroad.

But that is only part of the story.

This visual essay follows the evidence slide by slide, from slavery in the French and British colonies that became modern Canada to the point at which the direction of escape reversed.

Digital PDF

Keep this essay.

Explore Visual Essay Guides →

Explore downloadable Black History 101 Visual Essay learning guides for deeper learning, classroom use, and independent study.

Sources & Further Reading

  • Landon, Fred. “The Anti-Slavery Society of Canada.” The Journal of Negro History 4, no. 1 (January 1919): 33–40.
  • McCullough, Steve, and Matthew McRae. “The Story of Black Slavery in Canadian History.” Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Published August 22, 2018. Updated February 16, 2023.
  • Parks Canada. “The Enslavement of African People in Canada (c. 1629–1834).” Government of Canada. July 23, 2020.
  • Riddell, William Renwick. “Notes on Slavery in Canada.” The Journal of Negro History 4, no. 4 (October 1919): 396–411.
  • Snyder, Sandra. “Slavery in Canada.” EBSCO Research Starters: History. EBSCO Research.

Related Essays

Africa & the Diaspora

Black Venezuelans

Fighting for freedom, preserving African heritage

From the early 1500s, enslaved Africans in Venezuela worked in mining and agriculture, escaped to build their own communities, rose up at Coro in 1795, and sustained African traditions that their descendants continue to defend.

Black Figures

She Joined the Cycling League. Then It Drew a Color Line.

Kittie Knox's experience with racial discrimination and her efforts to continue participating in the sport.

Kittie Knox joined the League of American Wheelmen in 1893. When the league restricted new membership to white people the next year, her eligibility was questioned, and she kept presenting her credentials and riding.

Join The 101

The story doesn't end here.

Join The 101 and get the monthly Black History 101 letter—a story worth knowing, the context behind it, and what to read or watch next.

One email. Once a month.

Free to join. Receive the monthly Black History 101 letter plus occasional updates about new resources, courses, and programs. Unsubscribe anytime.

Keep Learning

Share this essay

Join The 101

Black history
doesn’t stop
at the post.

Join a growing community of educators, parents, learners, and history-curious people who want to go beyond the myths and follow the evidence.

Get new visual essays, deeper dives, reading recommendations, educational resources, and updates from Black History 101—directly from us, beyond the algorithm.

One email. Once a month.

  • 01A story worth knowing
  • 02The context behind it
  • 03What to read or watch next
  • 04New Black History 101 resources

Free to join. Receive the monthly Black History 101 letter plus occasional updates about new resources, courses, and programs. Unsubscribe anytime.