Amherstburg, Terminus of the Underground Railroad E-Book

Fred Landon

• Herausgeber: Alien Ebooks
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 18

Beschreibung

Amherstburg, Ontario, achieved notoriety due to its location in southern Ontario for being directly across the river from Detroit, making it the most convenient destination for fugitive slaves fleeing retribution from their owners in the United States.

Leseprobe

The Journal of Negro History

Vol. X—January, 1925—No. 1

Amherstburg, Terminus

of the

Underground Railroad

by

Fred Landon

The little Canadian town of Amherstburg is situated on the east bank of the Detroit River and not far from the mouth of that beautiful stream. From the later years of the eighteenth century it has figured in the history of Canada and today holds proud its place as one of the most historic spots in Ontario. Throughout the earlier period of the War of 1812 it was the headquarters of the British commander, Brock, and it was here that the first meeting took place between Brock and the great Indian chief, Tecumseh. Later, during the troubles of 1837 and 1838 there were important happenings at this point, particularly the capture of the schooner Ann in which Negro volunteers from the district had a hand. But apart entirely from its military importance, Amherstburg, or Fort Malden as it was called in earlier days, has special interest as being the chief place of entry for the large number of fugitives who made their way from the slave States of the South by way of the “underground railroad” to Canada and freedom. Even today there are many colored families resident in Amherstburg, descendants of those who came in the days before the Civil War and who did not leave their adopted home when the abolition of slavery and the downfall of the Confederacy made it possible for them to return in safety to the South. In other towns and cities of western Ontario there are similar groups of people whose color is a constant reminder of the movement of the fugitives into Canada in the first half of the last century.

The Negro population of Amherstburg on the eve of the Civil War was placed by one observer[1] at 800 out of a total population of 2000, a rather large percentage, it will be noted. In 1855 another visitor to the place[2]