Faces – May 2019

A

frican American men, women, and

children began moving to Canada

in large numbers after the United States

Congress enacted the Fugitive Slave

Act of 1850. (The word “fugitive” refers

to a person who has escaped from a

place or is in hiding.) At that time, many

escaped slaves were living in freedom

in northern states where slavery had

been abolished. The Fugitive Slave Act

allowed for the pursuit and capture of

escaped slaves anywhere in the United

States.

Between 1850 and 1860, as many

as 20,000 African Americans moved

to Canada. Canada’s black population

increased drastically during this time

and grew to 60,000. Not all blacks who

settled in Canada were former slaves.

Some were free blacks who moved from

the United States to Canada because

they were afraid they would be illegally

captured and sold into slavery. After the

passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, no

black man or woman felt safe living in

the United States.

The first large wave of fugitive

slaves arrived in Canada between 1817

and 1822. By 1850, numerous black

settlements had been established in

the country. One of these settlements,

Buxton, was in southwestern Ontario.

Presbyterian minister Reverend William

King founded Buxton in 1849.

by Christine Graf

CROSSING^

THE BORDER

TO FREEDOM

Buxton residents stand in front of a horse drawn steam engine.