Trace the route of the Underground Railroad to uncover the heroic secrets and compelling story of African American slaves who followed the North Star to Canada from the mid- to late-1800s. Visit the "sites" along the way where dedicated abolitionists took great risks to ensure freedom for all who dared to escape slavery. Witness life as it was in Canada's first Black settlement and visit abolitionist Rev. Josiah Henson's home - original inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin, a haven in both fiction and fact. The Black Heritage Route reveals an inspirational chapter in Canada's history so plan a visit to get a first hand read on it. |
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Ontario's Black Heritage Route is filled with so many stories of courage. From the freedom seekers to those who risked everything to give refuge. Here are a few highlights of this proud history. - Trace the path of fugitive slaves to emancipation and settlement in Canada at the North American Black Historical Museum in Amherstburg.
- Visit Uncle Tom's Cabin Historical Site in Dresden and tour the restored home of Rev. Josiah Henson, whose life inspired the powerful novel.
- Stop by the Mary Ann Shadd Cary plaque in Chatham - an homage to the first Black woman to edit a North American newspaper.
- Feel the history of the 1846 log cabin that gave safe haven to fugitive slaves at the John Freeman Walls Historic Site in Puce.
- Learn the fascinating story of a former wilderness outpost that played a pivotal role in determining the fate of Canada at Fort Malden National Historic Site in Amherstburg.
- Stroll back in time at the Buxton National Historic Site experience day-to-day life in North Buxton - Canada's first Black settlement.
- Examine artifacts from the 1820s to the present at the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society in Chatham and learn about the region's rich African Canadian history.
- Visit Sandwich Baptist Church in Windsor and see the trapdoors that led to dramatic escapes during services at this source of refuge for fugitive slaves.
- Follow the struggles of a group of fugitive slaves who established an early Black Canadian colony at Wilberforce in the 1830s.
- Feel the overwhelming emotion of freedom's first encounter as it is touchingly conveyed on the faces of refugee slaves at the Underground Railroad Monument - a National Historic Site in Windsor.
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Did you know?
North Buxton was the first permanent Black settlement in Ontario.
Black Heritage Route Resources |
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