Traces of slavery are also found in Canada

This month marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slaves in the United States, where the phenomenon is known and documented. However, it is much less so in Canada. Yet there were about 4,000 slaves in our country between the beginning of the 17th century and the adoption of the abolitionist law of 1834. One-third of them were black, and two-thirds were Amerindians.

We found them mainly in Montreal and Quebec, tells the story lover Frank Mackey, who published the book Slavery and Blacks in Montreal, 1760-1840. But there were also in Ontario and the Maritimes. <q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" In Prince Edward Island , until the years1820. In Nova Scotia, the last sale of slaves took place in1807. In New Brunswick, the last notice of a sale of slaves is in1816. In Newfoundland, there is a man who freed his slave1814. It was everywhere. "," Text ":" In Prince Edward Island, until the 1820s. In Nova Scotia, the last sale of slaves took place in 1807. In New Brunswick, the last notice of a sale of slaves is in 1816. In Newfoundland, there is a man who freed his slave in 1814. It was everywhere. "}}" Lang = "en">In Prince Edward Island, until the 1820s. In Nova Scotia, the last sale of slaves took place in 1807. In New Brunswick, the last notice of a sale of slaves, it is in 1816. In Newfoundland, there is a man who freed his slave in 1814. It was everywhere.

War booty

History records a first black slave in 1629. It is about a boy of about ten years, coming from Madagascar or Guinea. The child belonged to the Kirke brothers. He accompanied them when they besieged Quebec City. He was later sold, and he was given the name of Olivier Le Jeune.

Unlike the United States, there have never been slave ships here, explains Arnaud Bessière, a professor of history at Laurentian University and a specialist in New France. Under the French Regime (1608-1759), black slaves came mainly from the English colonies. These are spoils of war.

When there were French attacks in the English colonies, we sometimes came back with black slaves. There were some who came from Louisiana or the West Indies, because there were merchants who were passing through that area and coming back with blacks. And there are some cases, but very very rare, of blacks who came directly from Guinea or Africa. The historian specifies that the majority of black slaves will arrive later, with the loyalists, after the French regime.

As for aboriginal slavery, it already existed well before the arrival of the French or the English on Canadian soil, says Arnaud Bessière. Aboriginals used to enslave prisoners of war. From the 1670s, they gave these prisoners to the French during commercial or diplomatic exchanges. The sale and purchase of these slaves then became commonplace. In the French colony, they were called "panis" (generic term that refers to any Amerindian slave).

"Movable property"

The slave is considered as a movable good. It belongs to its owner. It can be given, lent, exchanged or sold. A slave is considered an object, literally, recalls Arnaud Bessière.

It is especially the rich who procure slaves, under the French Regime, explains Frank Mackey. Colonial administrators, bishops, well-placed people.

Under the British Regime, it becomes democraticsays the historian. Slave owners include artisans, small traders, farmers and innkeepers. So they are not very rich people, but they buy slaves because they serve. It's like buying machinery. If you have any business or business, you buy machinery that will serve.

The historian has found information on a priest, Louis Payette, who owned five slaves at the end of the 18th century. At one point, while he was living in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, he had two slaves, a dozen years old, a black man and a Native American, whom he had baptized. His bishop then accused him of having slaves, says Frank Mackey. The historian has got his hands on Father Payette's answer to his bishop, dated October 28, 1794, in which the parish priest defends slavery.

It is a defense of slavery that looks like two drops of water to the defense that was being made in the southern United States in many cases, to say that slaves are better treated than workers. "I take care of it, it's like my children".

<q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" What's more, adds Frank Mackey is that a few months later, Father Payette buys another slave, he later sells 500books. What game does it play? Does he make fun of his bishop? After sending his defense of slavery, he buys another! "," Text ":" What is rather spicy, adds Frank Mackey is that a few months later, Father Payette buys another slave, which he later sells 500lbs. What game does it play? Does he make fun of his bishop? After sending his defense of slavery, he buys another one! "}}" Lang = "en">What's rather nasty, adds Frank Mackey is that a few months later, Father Payette buys another slave, he later sells 500 pounds. What game does it play? Does he make fun of his bishop? After sending his defense of slavery, he buys another one!

Better treated here than on plantations?

Arnaud Bessière believes that slavery was less severe in Canada than it was in the southern United States or the West Indies. The historian explains that the work required here of the slaves resembled that of the servants. Although there is always an "underlying brutality" in the master-slave relationship, there were also "testimonies of affection, testimonies of the master's support for slaves, emancipation".

We must really try to mentally separate the West Indian slavery violent space and the Laurentian space, where we have slaves, but who live with the masters, contrary to what we observe on large plantations.

Frank Mackey also recognizes that here slaves were generally treated as engaged servants rather than as beasts. On the other hand, hired servants were paid, could arrange for themselves, get married, resign, change jobs or move, he says. In theory at least, they were free to do all that. Slaves, no. Again, slaves could be sold, separated from their children. This was certainly not the case for free domestics.

You must always be careful with that, because it was slavery anyway. And slavery is slavery. It is the loss of freedom and the lowering of a person.

What's left of it today

Among the remains of slavery, there are announcements of sale or flight of slaves in the newspapers of Quebec and Montreal between 1764 and 1798, says Frank Mackey. Notarial deeds were also found. <q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" The last act of sale of a slave at Quebec, it was the 14thSeptember1799 (…). It was a woman, Marguerite Boucher, of Boucherville, who sold it to a Mr. Joseph Campeau, of Detroit, for 25pounds. It was a boy of 9years who did housework especially. "," text ":" The last act of sale of a slave in Quebec, it was the 14th of September, 1799 (…). It was a woman, Marguerite Boucher, of Boucherville, who sold it to a Mr. Joseph Campeau, of Detroit, for 25 pounds. It was a 9-year-old boy who did housework especially. "}}" Lang = "en">The last act of sale of a slave in Quebec was September 14, 1799 (…). It was a woman, Marguerite Boucher, of Boucherville, who sold it to a Mr. Joseph Campeau, of Detroit, for 25 pounds. It was a 9-year-old boy who did housework mostly.

Arnaud Bessière mentions the order of Intendant Jacques Raudot who ratified the practice of slavery in Canada in 1709: All the Panis and Negroes who have been bought and who will be in the suite will be in full ownership to those who have bought them as their slaves; Defend the said Panis and Negroes from leaving their masters, and from whomever they are to be betrayed, on pain of a fifty-pound fine.

Other vestiges of slavery is our DNA! There are descendants of slaves today.

His excavations in the genealogy have allowed him to find some. The miscegenation of whites with natives is well known; the researcher was interested in the descendants of black slaves.

He tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Quéry, who was freed in Sorel in 1765. A few years later, he married a white woman from Saint-Michel-de-Yamaska, Madeleine Parenteau. They had several children and it has spread.

In the 1860s, three descendants of Jean-Baptiste Quéry, brothers, worked as photographers at the famous Notman studio in Montreal. One went to the United States. The other two finished as photojournalists, one to The Press, the other to The Country.

And they had children. The historian went to the eighth generation after the slave ancestor. I stopped with the people of that generation, but it sure continues. They are very numerous. And we know they had children too.

And these descendants of black slaves are all white, says Frank Mackey. After the black slave ancestor, they are weddings with whites. There is no trace left. That's why I say that the traces of slavery are in DNA.

Click here to see the section on slavery (New window) of the Virtual Museum of New France website