Act Against Slavery

Act Against Slavery

statute

Dey apply to jurisdiction	Upper Canada
Publication date	9 July 1793

Na de Act Against Slavery be an anti-slavery law dem pass on July 9, 1793, insyd de second legislative session of Upper Canada, de colonial division of British North America wey go eventually cam be Ontario. Na e ban de importation of slaves wey na e mandate dat kiddies dem born henceforth to female slaves go be freed upon reaching de age of 25.

Synopsis

Na John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of de colony, be a supporter of abolition before na he cam to Upper Canada; as a British Member of Parliament, na he describe slavery as an offence against Christianity. By 1792 na de slave population insyd Upper Canada no be large. However, wen na dem compare plus de number of free settlers, na de number no be insignificant. Insyd York (de present-day city of Toronto) na der be 15 African-Canadians wey dey live, while insyd Quebec na dem fi find sam 1,000 slaves. Furthermore, by de time na de Act Against Slavery go be ratified, na de number of slaves wey dey reside insyd Upper Canada significantly increased by de arrival of Loyalist refugees from de south wey na dem bring servants den slaves.

At de inaugural meeting of de Executive Council of Upper Canada insyd March 1793, na Simcoe hear from a witness de story of Chloe Cooley, a female slave wey na she be violently removed from Canada for sale insyd de United States. Na Simcoe ein desire make he abolish slavery insyd Upper Canada be resisted by members of de Legislative Assembly wey na dem own slaves, den therefore na de resulting act be a compromise. De bulk of de text be due to John White, de Attorney General of de day. Of de 16 members of de assembly, at least na six own slaves.

De law, dem title An Act to Prevent the further Introduction of Slaves and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude within this Province, state dat while all slaves insyd de province go remain dem enslave til death, no new slaves go be brought into Upper Canada, den kiddies dem born to female slaves after passage of de act go be freed at de age of 25.

Na dis law make Upper Canada "de first jurisdiction insyd de British Empire to pass a law freeing slaves". De act remain in force til de British Parliament ein Slavery Abolition Act 1833 dem abolish slavery insyd chaw parts of de British Empire.

Aftermath

Insyd 1798, na Christopher Robinson introduce a bill insyd de Legislative Assembly make e allow de importation of additional slaves. Na dem pass de bill by de Assembly, buh na e be stalled by de Legislative Council wey na e die at de end of de session.

Na thousands of Black Canadians volunteer make dem serve insyd de War of 1812. Insyd 1819, na Attorney General John Robinson (son of Christopher) declare dat by residing insyd Canada, na dem set black residents free, den dat Canadian courts go protect dema freedom.

Read further

• "From Slavery to Settlement". Archives of Ontario. The Alvin D. McCurdy Collection. 28 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2011. See Archives of Ontario
• "Enslaved Africans in Upper Canada". Archives of Ontario. Slavery. 28 December 2011a. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 19 March 2011. See Archives of Ontario
• CBC News Interactive. Slavery in Canada. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
• Bode, Patrick (June 1993). "Simcoe and the slaves". The Beaver. 73 (3): 17.
• "Timeline 1800–1900: From Slavery to Settlement". Historica–Dominion Institute. Black History in Canada. nd. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2011. See The Historica Dominion Institute, a series with Rosemary Sadlier, President, Ontario Black History Society as writer-consultant.
• "Abolition of Slavery". Historica–Dominion Institute. Black History Canada. nda. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
• Michaëlle, Jean (21 June 2007). "Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean Speech on the Occasion of the Student Forum: "From the Abolition of the Slave Trade to the Elimination of Racial Discrimination"". Retrieved 12 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
• Taylor, Alan (2010). The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Chapter 2, Location 964. ISBN 978-1-4000-4265-4. OCLC 503042145 – via Kindle.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
• Wilson, William R. (nd). "Early Canada Historical Narratives: an Act to Prevent the Further Introduction of Slaves". Upper Canada History. Retrieved 19 March 2014.