Book of Negroes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Book of Negroes |
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| Date | 1783 |
The Book of Negroes is an important historical document from 1783. It was created by Brigadier General Samuel Birch, following orders from Sir Guy Carleton. This book lists the names and descriptions of 3,000 Black Loyalists. These were enslaved Africans who escaped to the British side during the American Revolution. They were then taken to places like Nova Scotia as free people.
Contents
What is the Book of Negroes?
A Record of Freedom Seekers
The Book of Negroes is a special document. It was written in 1783 and is about 150 pages long. This book is unique because it carefully recorded the names and details of many Black Canadians.
The first African person arrived in Nova Scotia in 1605. More African people were later brought there as slaves. This happened when places like Louisbourg and Halifax were founded.
The American Revolution and Freedom
A large group of African people came to Nova Scotia during the American Revolutionary War. Many enslaved Africans in America ran away to the British side during the war. The British promised them freedom if they joined their cause. These people became the first Black Nova Scotians and Black Canadians.
Other Black Loyalists were sent to islands in the West Indies. Some also went to London. The Book of Negroes helped keep track of these freed people.
What the Book Contains
The document lists 3,000 Africans who were once enslaved. These people were moved to British North America, mainly to Nova Scotia. Many settled in a new place called Birchtown.
The Treaty of Paris and Freed Slaves
After the war, the Treaty of Paris (1783) was signed. The United States wanted the British to return all their "property," including the enslaved people. But the British refused. They had promised freedom to these individuals for helping them during the war.
The detailed records in the Book of Negroes were made to prove that these people were free. They were then resettled in Nova Scotia along with other Loyalists. Samuel Birch, who the town of Birchtown, Nova Scotia is named after, put the book together. He worked under the direction of Sir Guy Carleton.
New Beginnings in Sierra Leone
Later, some of these freed people moved from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone in Africa. They became the first settlers of Freetown. This move was supported by the Sierra Leone Company. These people are ancestors of the Sierra Leone Creole ethnic group today.
Notable People Listed
Some famous people listed in the Book of Negroes include Boston King, Henry Washington, Moses Wilkinson, and Cato Perkins.
Two Versions of the Book
There are actually two versions of the Book of Negroes. American and British officers each made their own records.
- The British version is kept at The National Archives in London.
- The American version is at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C..
The American version was later published as The Black Loyalist Directory: African Americans in Exile After the American Revolution.
The Book of Negroes in Modern Stories
A Popular Novel
The Canadian writer Lawrence Hill wrote a novel called The Book of Negroes in 2007. In the United States, it was published as Someone Knows My Name. This book was inspired by the true stories of African Americans who settled in Nova Scotia. It also tells about those who later moved to Sierra Leone to create a free colony.
The novel features a young African woman named Aminata Diallo. She is able to read and write. She helps record information about the former slaves, just like in the real Book of Negroes. This book won the top 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
A Television Series
Canadian director Clement Virgo turned Lawrence Hill's book into a six-hour television mini-series. It has the same title. The series first aired in Canada on CBC in January 2015. It then premiered in the United States on BET in February 2015. It starred actors like Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Louis Gossett Jr..
See also
In Spanish: Libro de los negros para niños
- Black Nova Scotians
- Rough Crossings (subtitle: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution), a history book and television series by Simon Schama
