Updated: June 9, 2005
CANADIAN STUDIES RESOURCES
Underground Railroad
Refugees in Canada
This page is a cooperative effort between the Michigan Canadian Studies
Roundtable,
the MSU Canadian Studies Centre and the MSU Libraries
Note: All locations and call numbers for books & other materials pertain to the Michigan State University Libraries.
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***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***
Chronology
(from the North American Black History Museum)|
Primary Sources | Secondary
Sources | Web Sites
Black abolitionist papers, 1830-1865 [Microform Set]. Sanford, N.C. : Microfilming Corporation of America, 1981. 17 microfilm reels. MICROFORMS Microfilm 21950
Black abolitionist papers. Volume II: Canada, 1830-1865. Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, 1986 560 p. MAIN E449 .B624 1985 v.2
Drew, Benjamin.. A north-side view of slavery. The refugee: or, The narratives of fugitive slaves in Canada. Related by themselves, with an account of the history and condition of the colored population of Upper Canada. Boston, J.P. Jewett and Company. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: Rare Books E450 .D77
Four fugitive slave narratives. Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. [1969] MAIN E450 .F75
Henson, Josiah:
Howe, S. G. Report to the Freedmen's Inquiry Commission, 1864; the refugees from slavery in Canada West. MAIN E450 .H85 1969
Provincial Freeman [abolitionist newspaper published in "Chatham, Canada West"] Available to MSU affiliates only. Last examined on 07/29/04.
Secondary
Sources
Underground Rail Road Operations | Canada
| Ontario | Abolitionist Press
Underground Rail Road Operations
Blockson, Charles L. The Underground Railroad 1st ed. New York : Prentice-Hall Press, c1987. MAIN E450 .B66 1987
Dorsey, Benjamin F.Underground railroad. Toronto : [s.n.], 1898. MICROFORMS Microfiche CIHM 28260
Fairchild, James Harris. The Underground railroad. [Cleveland?] 1895. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: Rare Books E450 .F3 1895
Mitchell, William M. The underground railroad from slavery to freedom. London, W. Tweedie, 1860. MICROFORMS Microcard E450
Still, William. The underground rail road. A record of facts, authentic narratives, letters, &c., narrating the hardships, hair-breadth escapes and death struggles of the slaves in their efforts for freedom, as related by themselves and others, or witnessed by the author; together with sketches of some of the largest stockholders, and most liberal aiders and advisers, of the road. Philadelphia, Porter & Coates, 1872. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: American Radicalism E450 .S85
Brode, Patrick. The odyssey of John Anderson Toronto : Published for the Osgoode Society by University of Toronto Press, c1989. MAIN KE228.A53 B76 1989
Collison, Gary.
Hembree, Michael F. "The Question Of "Begging": Fugitive Slave Relief In Canada, 1830-1865," Civil War History Vol. 37, no. 4 (1991 ): 314-327. MAIN E461 .C5
Hill, Daniel G. The freedom-seekers : Blacks in early Canada. Agincourt [Ont.] : Book Society of Canada, c1981. MAIN F1035.N3 H55
Kelly, Wayne Edward. "Canada's Black Defenders: Former Slaves Answered the Call to Arms," Beaver v. 77, no. 2 (1997): 31-34..MAIN F1060 .A1 B4
Martin, Ged. "British Officials And Their Attitudes To The Negro Community In Canada, 1833-1861," Ontario History Vol. 66, no. 2 (June 1974): 79-88. MAIN F1056 .O58
Pease, William H.; Pease, Jane H. "Organized Negro Communities: A North American Experiment," Journal of Negro History Vol. 47, no. 1 (Jan. 1962): 19-34. MAIN E185.5 .J86
Simms, Glenda P. "Diasporic Experience Of Blacks In Canada: A Discourse," Dalhousie Review Vol. 73, no. 3( 1993 ): 308-322. MAIN AP5 .D3
Thomson, Colin A. "Doc Shadd," Saskatchewan History vol. 30, no. 2 (Spring 1971): 41-55. MAIN F1070 .S245
Walker, James W. St. G. A history of Blacks in Canada : a study guide for teachers and students. Ottawa : Minister of State Multiculturalism, 1980. 181 p. GOV DOCS Canada CI45-2/1980E
Winks, Robin W. The Blacks in Canada : a history. 2nd ed. Montreal ; Kingston : McGill-Queen's University Press, 1997. MAIN F1035.N3 W5 1997
Winks, Robin W. "The Canadian Negro: A Historical Assessment," Journal of Negro History Vol. 53, no. 4 (Oct. 1968): 283-300 & Vol. 54, no. 1 (Jan. 1969): 1-18.MAIN E185.5 .J86
Winks, Robin W. "A History Of Negro School Segregation In Nova Scotia And Ontario," Canadian Historical Review v. 52 no.2 (1969 ): 64-191. MAIN F1001 .C27
Armstrong, F. H. " The Toronto Directories And The Negro Community In The Late 1840's," Ontario History v. 61, no. 2 (June 1969): 111-119. MAIN F1056 .O58
Baily, Marilyn. "From Cincinnati, Ohio To Wilberforce, Canada: A Note On Antebellum Colonization," Journal of Negro History v. 58, no. 4 (1973): 427-440. MAIN E185.5 .J86
Cooper, Afua. "The Search For Mary Bibb, Black Woman Teacher In Nineteenth-Century Canada West," Ontario History v. 82, no. 1 (1991): 39-54. MAIN F1056 .O58
Hepburn, Sharon A. Roger. "Following The North Star: Canada As A Haven For Nineteenth-Century American Blacks," Michigan Historical Review 1999 25(2): 91-126. MAIN F476 .G7
Hill, Daniel G. "Negroes In Toronto 1793-1865," Ontario History v. 55, no. 2 (1963 ): 73-91. MAIN F1056 .O58
Hubbard, Stephen. Against all odds : the story of William Peyton Hubbard, black leader and municipal reformer Toronto : Dundurn Press, 1987. MAIN F1059.5.T6853 H834 1987
Kelly, Wayne Edward. "Race And Segregation In The Upper Canada Militia," Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research v. 78 (2000) : 264-277.NOT IN THE MSU LIBRARY; OBTAIN ON INTER-LIBRARY LOAN
Knight, Claudette. "Black Parents Speak: Education In Mid-Nineteenth-Century Canada West," Ontario History v. 89, no. 4 (1997 ): 269-284. MAIN F1056 .O58
Lewis, James K. "Religious Nature Of The Early Negro Migration To Canada And The Amherstburg Baptist Association," Ontario History v. 58, no.2 (June 1966): 117-132. MAIN F1056 .O58
Lyons, Nancee L. "The Road Most Traveled: A Legacy Of Black History In Canada," American Visions v. 7, no. 2 (1992 ): 52-54. MAIN E185.5 .A43
McLean, Stuart. Welcome home : travels in smalltown Canada Toronto : Penguin, 1993, c1992. MAIN F1017 .M32 1993 [Chapter on "Dresden, Ontario"]
Rieke, Tom. "Triumph Over Tragedy: The Story Of The Sons And Daughters Of Buxton, Canada," American Visions v. 6, no. 3 (1991 ): 32-36. MAIN E185.5 .A43
Riendeau, Roger E. An enduring heritage : black contributions to early Ontario. Toronto : Dundurn Press, 1984. MAIN F1059.7.N3 R54 1984
Schweninger, Loren. "A Fugitive Negro In The Promised Land: James Rapier In Canada, 1856-1864." Ontario History Vol. 67, no. 2 (1975 ): 91-104.MAIN F1056 .O58
Stouffer, Allen P. The light of nature and the law of God : antislavery in Ontario, 1833-1877. Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, 1992. MAIN HT1052 .S76 1992
Stouffer, Allen P. "A 'Restless Child Of Change And Accident': The Black Image In Nineteenth Century Ontario," Ontario History v. 76, no. 2 (1984 ): 128-150. MAIN F1056 .O58
Thomas, Owen A. Niagara's Freedom Trail : a guide to African-Canadian history on the Niagara Peninsula. Thorold, Ont. : Region Niagara Tourist Council, c1995. MAIN F1059.N5 T46 1995
Wilson, Ruth Danenhower. "Negro-White Relations In Western Ontario," Negro History Bulletin v. 18, no. 5 (1955 ): 105-106. MAIN E185.5 .N383
Yee, Shirley J. "Gender Ideology And Black Women As Community-Builders In Ontario, 1850-70," Canadian Historical Review v. 75, no. 1 (1994 ): 53-73. MAIN F1001 .C27
Bearden, Jim and Linda Jean Butler. Shadd : the life and times of Mary Shadd Cary. Toronto : NC Press, 1977. MAIN LA2325.C34 B4
Cooper, Afua. "In Light of New Evidence...Mary Bibb: Pioneer Abolitionist, Educator, Publisher and a Place History," Paper given at the 2001 Annual Conference of the Canadian Historical Association. To obtain a copy, phone (613) 233-7885 and ask for Conference Paper 67.2.
Hancock, Harold B."Mary Ann Shadd: Negro Editor, Educator, And Lawyer," Delaware History v. 15, no. 3 (Apr. 1973): 187-194.
Hite, Roger W. "Voice Of A Fugitive: Henry Bibb And The Ante-Bellum Black Separatism," Journal of Black Studies Vol. 4, no. 3 (Mar. 1974 ): 269-284.MAIN E185.5 .J8
MacDonald, Cheryl."Last Stop On The Underground Railroad: Mary Ann Shadd in Canada,". Beaver v. 70, no. 1 (1990): 32-38..MAIN F1060 .A1 B4
Rhodes, Jane. Mary Ann Shadd Cary : the Black press and protest in the nineteenth century. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, c1998. 284 p. MAIN E185.97.C32 R48 1998
Rhodes, Jane, "Race, Money, Politics And The Antebellum Black Press," Journalism History v. 20, no. 3-4 (1994 ): 95-106. MAIN PN4700 .J63
Silverman, Jason Howard. "'We Shall Be Heard!' The Development Of The Fugitive Slave Press In Canada," Canadian Historical Review Vol. 65, no. 1 (Mar. 1984 ): 54-69. MAIN F1001 .C27
Yee, Shirley J. "Finding A Place: Mary Ann Shadd Cary
And The Dilemmas Of Black Migration To Canada, 1850-1870," Frontiers
[University of Colorado, Boulder. Women Studies Program. ISSN 0160-9009]
v. 18, no. 3 (1997): 1-16.
National Library of Canada:
SchoolNet Digital Collections: The
Underground Railroad Years: Canada in an International Arena. Last
examined on 07/29/04.
Some Missing Pages:
The Black Community in the History of Quebec and Canada: Primary and Secondary
Source Materials: Unit 3: Fugitives for Freedom: A subunit of a
collection of "materials that focus upon Blacks in the history of Quebec
and Canada help learners to understand more fully the social and cultural
realities of the past centuries. These pages depict joy and sorrow, struggle
and triumph, courage and determination." A combined effort of the Quebec
Provincial Association Of Social Studies Teachers, the Quebec Board Of Black
Educators, and the Quebec Ministère De L'éducation. Last
examined on 07/29/04
Underground Railroad:
Niagara's Freedom Trail: "The focus of this website is to bring
to life the History of the Underground Railroad in the city of St. Catharines
and the Niagara Region." Last examined on 07/29/04
Underground
Railroad in Canada: A Parks Canada site commemorating the refugees.
Last examined on 08/04/04.
Blacks in South-West Ontario
African Canadian
Heritage Network/Ontario's Underground Railroad: "celebrates
the history of those who made the arduous journey to freedom in Canada via
the Underground Railroad.. The tour shows the history of the communities
they lived and worked in. Each site offers a different twist in the rich
historical journey you will take while visiting South Western Ontario. Descendants
of these people will guide you at each site. Last
examined on 07/29/04.
Buxton National Historic
Site & Museum: "This museum, officially opened in 1967, was
Raleigh Township's Centennial Project as a memorial to the Elgin Settlement,
haven for the fugitives of the American system of slavery in the pre-Civil
War years. Last examined on 08/04/04.
Heritage Room at
the W.I.S.H. Centre: "provides visitors with the history of
Chatham's Black Community after escaping slavery. Their achievements and
their struggles are chronicled through dramatizations, slide presentations
and videos." Last examined on 08/04/04.
Marsh Collection Society:
"A non-profit organization, is based on the historical collection of
John Marsh and his sister Helen, owners and operators of the Amherstburg
Echo for over 50 years". Last examined on 08/05/04.
North American Black
Historical Museum: "Situated in the midst of the original Black
settlement in Amherstburg, the North American Black Historical Museum and
Cultural Centre was built to preserve Black history and promote community
and cultural activities." Last examined on 08/05/04.
OBHS Online:
Ontario Black History Society Archives: "An Extension Collection
of things historical, of things modern...of things black" detailing
Black Settlements, Oral Tales, Movies, Burial Grounds, Black Fiction &
Academic Literature, Historical and Contemporary Personalities, the Underground
Railroad, and the Maroons." Part of the SchoolNet Digital Collections
Program. Last examined on 08/05/04.
Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site:
"...commemorates the life of Reverend Josiah
Henson and his contributions to the famous Underground Railroad. It was
Henson's life experiences that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's creation
of the character Uncle Tom in her 1852 outcry against slavery." Last
examined on 08/05/04.
Underground Railroad in the U.S.
Menare Foundation's North
Star Website: The Menare Foundation, Inc. is a national non-profit
organization dedicated to the documentation, preservation, and restoration
of Underground Railroad safe-houses and environments. In 1998 the Foundation
sponsored "The Walk to Canada: The Revival:" a three-month journey
through ten different states from Alabama to Canada, where Anthony Cohen
traced routes of the Underground Railroad to bring attention to its important
history. The site contains excerpts from Mr. Cohen's trip. It also contains
information on documenting Underground Railroad sites and preserving safe-houses.
Finally, it lists special resources and educational activities." Last
examined on 08/05/04.
National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center: "Using the Underground
Railroad as a lens through which to explore a range of freedom issues, the
Freedom Center offers lessons and reflections on the struggle for freedom
in the past, in the present, and for the future. And it helps visitors discover
the power of one voice - shared with many - by speaking out about the meaning
of freedom." Last examined on 08/05/04.
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