The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920Various
History
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920
Various
African Americans -- Periodicals
Not all those who fled to Canada left their property behind. _The
Voice of the Fugitive_ makes frequent reference to Negroes arriving
with plenty of means to take care of themselves. "Men of capital with
good property, some of whom are worth thousands, are settling among us
from the northern states." says the issue of October 22, 1851, while
in the issue of July 1, 1852, it is noted that "22 from Indiana
passed through to Amherstburg, with four fine covered waggons and
eight horses. A few weeks ago six or eight such teams came from the
same state into Canada. The Fugitive Slave Law is driving out brains
and money." In a later issue it was stated "we know of several
families of free people of color who have moved here from the northern
states this summer who have brought with them property to the amount
of L30,000."[21] Some of these people with property joined the Elgin
Association settlement at Buxton, purchasing farms and taking
advantage of the opportunities that were provided there for education.
A letter to _The Voice of the Fugitive_ from Ezekiel C. Cooper,
recently arrived at Buxton, says: "Canada is the place where we have
our rights."[22] He speaks of having purchased 50 acres of land and
praises the school and its teacher at Buxton. Cooper came from
Northampton, Massachusetts, driven out by the Fugitive Slave Law. A
rather unusual case was that of 12 manumitted slaves who were brought
to Canada from the South. They had been bequeathed $1,000 each by
their former owner. They all bought homes in the Niagara district.[23]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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