Dan Conlin

ALT Confronting 4 myths about Canada’s history with slavery

ALT 1. “Canada never had slavery.” People often think that slavery is unique to American history. However, contrary to popular belief, slavery was common in lands that would become Canada too. For more than 200 years, slavery was legal in French and British Canada; it wasn’t abolished until 1834. While the events of slavery occurred before Confederation in 1867, most historians agree that Canada’s history extends to all the events that led up to Confederation, including slavery. 200+ years of slavery. 190 years since abolition. Canada’s history with slavery is longer than its history of free Black people. The impacts of slavery didn’t end when it was abolished and continue to this day.

ALT 2.“Canada should be proud because it was the destination for the Underground Railroad.” Between the 1830s and the 1860s, thousands of enslaved Black people fled America and escaped to British territories to the north through the Underground Railroad. It’s also important to note that when slavery was still legal in Canada, many enslaved Black persons escaped bondage by going south - a “reverse” Underground Railroad. People often dismiss Canada’s role in slavery because “it happened before Confederation” but praise Canada for its role with the Underground Railroad. Both happened before confederation. Both the good and the bad are part of our country’s history.

ALT 3.“What about Irish slaves?” There were no Irish slaves in Canada, but rather a system of indentured servitude – a system where an individual signed a contract committing to perform unpaid labour for a set number of years in exchange for transport, shelter and food. Indentured servitude was cruel and exploitative but very different from slavery. At the end of their contracts, indentured servants were free to go and sometimes received a payment of land and goods. In contrast, slavery defined humans as property and involved lifelong forced labour. The children of enslaved people also became property, making slavery intergenerational.