Black refugee (War of 1812) facts for kids
Black refugees were African Americans who escaped slavery in the United States during the War of 1812. They found new homes in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Trinidad. In Canada, this term usually refers to those who settled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. They were the largest group of African Americans to seek freedom during this war.
These Black refugees were the second group of African Americans to escape slavery in wartime and settle in Canada. The first group were the Black Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. The Black refugees became a very important part of today's African Nova Scotian communities. Many more Black refugees, estimated between 10,000 and 30,000, also reached Canada for freedom during the years before the American Civil War. They often traveled alone or in small family groups.
Some Black refugees settled in Trinidad. These people were mostly from Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Spanish Florida. They were taken there by British ships from Bermuda. Some arrived in Trinidad in 1815. Others, who fought for the British in the second Corps of Colonial Marines, settled in Trinidad in 1816. They became known as the Merikins.
Contents
Why They Came to Canada
The British Offer of Freedom
During the War of 1812, the British offered freedom to enslaved people in the United States. In 1813, Vice Admiral Warren was told to welcome any Black people who asked for help onto his ships. He was to treat them as free people and send them to British colonies. Captain Robert Barrie believed that Black people in Virginia and Maryland would gladly join the British against the Americans.
Later, Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane was ordered to encourage enslaved African Americans to leave the United States. He issued an official message, called a Proclamation, in April 1814.
Cochrane's Proclamation
Cochrane's Proclamation invited people to leave the United States and join the British. It said they could join the British military or settle as free people in British lands. This included places like British North America (which is now Canada) or the West Indies.
The Proclamation stated:
-
- 'A Proclamation
- Many people in the United States want to leave and join His Majesty's service, or become free settlers in His Majesty's colonies.
- This is to announce that all people who wish to move from the United States, with their families, will be welcomed aboard His Majesty's ships or at military posts near the coast. They can choose to join the sea or land forces, or be sent as free settlers to British lands in North America or the West Indies, where they will be supported.
- Given at Bermuda this second day of April, 1814, by command of Vice Admiral.
- Alex Cochrane'
This message did not directly mention enslaved people. However, it was understood as an invitation for them to seek freedom. Many American slaveholders wrongly thought it would cause their enslaved people to revolt violently.
Seeking Freedom in British Colonies
Many African Americans were already escaping to the British before Cochrane's Proclamation. His message simply confirmed what was already happening. Years later, there was a plan to send some Black refugees from Nova Scotia to Freetown, Sierra Leone. Nearly 2,000 other African Americans had moved there earlier. But this plan was only partly carried out. Most Black refugees stayed in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. A small group did move to Trinidad.
Some of the Black refugees' names were written down in a document called the Halifax List. This list recorded American Refugee Negroes who arrived in Nova Scotia between April 27, 1815, and October 24, 1818. However, it did not include the many African Americans who arrived earlier.
Where They Settled
New Homes in Canada
About 4,000 African Americans escaped to the British through the Royal Navy. This was the largest group of enslaved African Americans to gain freedom before the American Civil War. Around 2,000 settled in Nova Scotia, and about 400 settled in New Brunswick. They were the biggest group of African-American immigrants, and their descendants form the core of African Canadian communities today.
In Nova Scotia, Black refugees were first housed at a former prisoner-of-war camp on Melville Island. After the War of 1812, this camp was used for immigrants. From Melville Island, they moved to new settlements. These were located around Halifax and in the Annapolis Valley. The refugees were given land to use, which helped them start their own communities. For example, twenty American refugee slaves from the James River in Virginia were among the first to reach Canada after a shipwreck.
Settlements in Trinidad
Other Black refugees settled in Trinidad. Most of them had served in the Corps of Colonial Marines. This group included about 200 refugees from Louisiana and East and West Florida. The community in Trinidad became known as the Merikins. Their villages, started by different military companies, still exist today.
Their Lasting Impact
Building Communities
The Black refugees are the largest single group of ancestors for Black Nova Scotians. They formed the heart of many African Nova Scotian communities and churches that are still active today. However, an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 other refugees arrived individually or in small family groups during the years before the American Civil War. They sought freedom from slavery using the Underground Railroad from the United States.
Many Black refugees settled in North Preston and East Preston, Nova Scotia. Their descendants still live there today. Other Black refugees settled in smaller communities like Hammonds Plains, Beechville, and Windsor. They also settled in communities throughout Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. In the 1840s, some Black refugee families moved closer to Halifax to find work. They formed the Halifax community of Africville.
Important People and Culture
The migration of Black refugees included important figures. One was Richard Preston, a religious leader who fought against slavery. He started the first African Baptist church in Halifax. Another was the parents of William Hall, who was one of Canada's first winners of the Victoria Cross for bravery.
Many Black refugees in Nova Scotia came from Virginia and Maryland. They brought with them special basket-making skills from the Chesapeake Region. Their descendants still practice these skills today. These baskets have a unique style, different from the basket-making traditions of the Mi'kmaw and Acadian people in the region.
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