HIS312H1 Lecture : American Blacks
Document Summary
Tutorial #2: topic two: american blacks in 19 th century ontario: challenging the stereotypes. Positive assumptions of canada where white abolitionists guiding fugitive slaves from. American slave-owners to the freedom of british soil. Black people did come and set up all black communities with churches. However it downplays courageous role of african americans, including ex slaves like harriet tubman. Also evidence that many black immigrants were not slaves, but simply freed black men and women reacting to deterioration in their civil rights. 1861 census indicates historians exaggerate size of black population in general and overestimate proportion of black population who were fugitives from slavery. 40,000 blacks is probably most accurate figure argued by some. (estimates ranging from. From personal conclusions, author draws maybe 22,500 to 23,000 black people (indicating historians significantly overestimated black population of canada west in 1860 by 75% or more). No mass migration of blacks out of canada.
