Abstract
The article discusses self-emancipated African Americans in Canada in the antebellum era, examining their identification with blacks in the West Indies and their pursuit of British subjecthood to protect and advance their freedom. It comments on an 1839 petition by blacks in Canada to the British government, examining demands for schools and protections against extradition to the U.S. The author reflects on abolitionist Samuel Ringgold Ward and the ways he constructed black British imperial identity, particularly noting his emphasis on black religious piety.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 219-239 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of African American History |
| Volume | 97 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2012 |
Keywords
- FREE blacks -- History
- FREE African Americans
- FUGITIVE slaves -- History
- BLACK Canadians -- History
- RACIAL identity of blacks
- RACE relations in British colonies
- PETITIONS -- History -- 19th century
- EXTRADITION -- History
- GREAT Britain
- CANADA
- WEST Indies
- WARD, Samuel Ringgold