North York Central Library Blog

Many Canadians are unaware that slavery existed here during the colonial period and that a number of prominent families in the Town of York (as Toronto was called until 1834) were slaveholders.

Upper Canada's first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe attempted to abolish slavery in the colony but faced resistance from members of his legislative assembly, many of whom were slave owners themselves. He was able to pass a compromised version of his proposed legislation in 1793 which allowed for gradual abolition of slavery and prevented the further introduction of slaves into the province.

Toronto was also an important terminal of the Underground Railroad and became a hub of abolitionist activities. St Lawrence Hall was an important meeting place of the abolitionist movement and hosted the famous "North American Convention of Colored Freemen" in 1851.

The North York Central Library is excited to have Karolyn Smardz Frost on Wednesday, February 17 for her program entitled "Slavery, Antislavery and Resistance in 19th Century Toronto."  This seminar explores the experiences of the enslaved in the early Town of York,  and describes the resistance mounted by African Canadians against both slavery and racial oppression up to the time of the American Civil War.

Karolyn Smardz Frost is the Harrison McCain Visiting Professor at Acadia University, Nova Scotia, and a Senior Research Fellow for African Canadian History at the Harriet Tubman Institute at York University, Toronto. She was formerly the Bicentennial Visiting Professor for Canadian Studies (2012-2013) at Yale University. Smardz Frost won'the Governor-General's award for English language non-fiction in 2007 for "I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad".

What: Slavery, Antislavery and Resistance in 19th Century Toronto

When: Wednesday, February 17 from 7:00-8:00 pm 

Where: North York Central Library, in the Concourse

For more information and to register: Please call the Society and Recreation Department at (416) 416-395-5660

Check out the other Black History Month programs happening at branches across the city during the month of February.

If you would like to read more about the history of blacks in Canada, check these out: