Quakers, the Underground Railroad and Canada

The Quakers and the Underground Railroad in Canada

By: Eva Varano

The Underground Railroad in Canada

Why are the Quakers important?

Slaves in Canada

Thank you for listening!

Questions?

The Quakers and the Underground Railroad

• The Quakers were the first group to ban slave holding amongst their own members in 1780.
• The Quakers attitudes towards equality, which stemmed from their religious beliefs, were unique at the time they were shared.
• The Quakers welcomed African-American members into the Society in 1796.
• The Quakers petitioned the courts against slavery as early as 1652.
• Also, the Quakers fought for abolition and emancipation in multiple ways and constantly persisted and remained grounded in their beliefs.
• Additionally, the Quakers were involved in many other causes, such as prison reform, peace and suffrage.
• Most importantly, the Quakers received nothing for their work in the fight against slavery, they simply fought for what they believed was right and was God's will.
• Despite all of this, the Quakers remain relatively unknown in history, especially amongst the younger generation today from what I have experienced.

Quaker Meeting

Image: http://schoolyardplay.com/quakers-meeting/

Primary Sources

• The Quakers played a significant role in the UR and were often called "conductors" (helped people escape).
• They helped facilitate UR networking through their meeting system in multiple states.
• They also took in, supported and assisted slaves one on one and in groups by offering clothing, food, shelter, advice, education, religion, legal aid and safety and assistance in crossing borders.
• Additionally, the Quakers also fought for abolition and emancipation outside of the UR by holding conferences, giving talks, meeting with slave holders to convince them to free their slaves, created abolition societies, boycotting products of slave labor.

• Slaves who escaped to Canada had both negative and positive experiences in regards to gaining freedom.
• Slaves were free and safe from the Fugitive Slave Law.
• Former slaves were able to settle in different parts in Canada, perform different jobs and were offered various help and resources, primarily from missionary and church groups.
• However, former slaves were still subject to racism, discrimination, segregation and negative stereotyping.
• Also, former slaves had trouble finding work, did not have many possessions and had to care for their family and manage their freedom in a new society and culture.
• Despite this, the former slaves had freedom and no one could take that away from them.

William Wells Brown

Images: http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/2382711/Quaker/, http://www.quickmeme.com/Hipster-Quaker

• Canada was one of the final destinations for the UR or escaping from slavery in other ways.
• The general sentiment in Canada was against slavery, although the institution of slavery did exist in Canada until the mid 19th century.
• Slaves were often brought through the province of Upper Canada although there were laws prohibiting this.
• The UR was located at strategic points along the Canadian boundary.
• Slaves made the journey to Canada with the help of many individuals and groups, including the Quakers.

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wells_Brown

The "Gap"

Jane Johnson and her children escape their slave master in Philadelphia (a part of the Free State of PA) with the help of Quakers. This was one of the first challenges to the FSA.

• William Wells Brown. Escaped slavery through a steamboat in Missouri.
• Born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1814 and given the name William. His father was a relative of his master, and his mother a slave.
• At a young age working in his master's house, Brown was determined not to be a slave his entire life.
• Brown was hired out to a very cruel man by his master, a practice which was common. After 5 month, Brown decided to plot his escape.
• He took off into the woods, was found by the police and taken to jail then back to his master who beat him and reassigned him to work in the fields.
• Eventually, Brown was leaser again to work on a steamboat. But after, he was leased to the cruelest of masters who ran a hotel. From here, he was sent to his kindest master (who became an abolitionist) and taught him to read and write (which was illegal).
• During this time, Brown was attacked and eventually leased to another steamboat and then a slave trader.
• Brown and his mother attempted to escape and underwent a long journey. However, they were captured and Brown realized he had a reward for his arrest. Brown and his mother were separated and he never saw her again.
• Brown was sold to a new master who eventually brought him on a ship which Brown escaped in Cincinnati.
• Brown walked through woods with no resources before finding out he was close to Ohio.
• Brown runs into a man who tells him he is in pro-slavery territory, bu the man offers his help. His name is Wells Brown and he is a Quaker.
• Wells and his wife took Brown in, fed him, clothed him and showed him kindness. Wells told Brown he should re-name himself as he was now free.
• Brown, extremely grateful, decides to have Wells name him, and he becomes William Wells Brown.
• The Quakers give Brown food and ensure he is back on his feet before traveling to Cleveland on foot and finding work on a steamboat where he realized he could help escaped slaves flee to Canada.
• He got married, started a family, moved to NY and worked on the UR in Buffalo where his house became a station for the UR.
• He helped free many escaped slaves and wrote a book about his experiences.
• From: "The Underground Railroad on the Western Frontier" by James, Patrick and Morgans.

• This essay will be addressing to what extent the historical evidence demonstrates the Quakers roles in the Underground Railroad network between the US and Canada.
• Additionally, this essay will investigate Quaker presence in Canada and the institutions and support available to freed slaves once they ended their journey of escape and settled.
• This essay will attempt to piece together the story of how these two groups of people, the Quakers and the enslaved peoples came together and supported one another to pursue the goals of emancipation and abolition.
• Additionally, this essay will attempt to answer to what extent the Quakers and Quaker institutions supported freed slaves who journeyed through the Underground Railroad to obtain freedom in Canada.
• Therefore, this essay will attempt to discover if groups of Quakers or Quaker institutions were present in Canada during these times, and if so, to what extent they were able or willing to support or assist freed slaves and if they did, were they successful.
• This essay hypothesizes that the Quakers contributed to settling newly freed slaves who journeyed on the Underground Railroad in Canada.
• This essay will argue that the Quakers in Canada did provide help and resources to newly freed slaves in a variety of ways.

Images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Johnson_(slave), https://prezi.com/qgwimfzopszz/the-underground-railroad/, https://www.pinterest.com/brookes2057/unprogrammed-quakers/

Who are the Quakers?

Images: https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/anti-slavery/033004-2000-e.html, https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/anti-slavery/033004-2000-e.html

Quakers in Canada

Quaker Meeting House in Kitchener

Image: http://kingston.quaker.ca/QuakerLinks.htm

The Underground Railroad

Map: Freedom States and Slavery States, 1854

• The first Quakers in Canada settled in the Maritimes and Southern Canada in the 18th century.
• Despite this, numbers were always low as Quaker groups divided.
• Quakers helped slaves find freedom in Canada through the UR.
• However, once in Canada, Quakers were such a small community that they lacked the resources and numbers to make major contributions to abolition and emancipation.
• Often, Quakers did not attempt to organize religious work to help slaves, but referred freed slaves to other organizations or groups who could offer help.
• Although, the Quakers were available as resources for freed slaves and did what they could to help (including purchasing freedom)..
• Quakers offered their support to freed slaves and often made many journeys between Canada and the US to free slaves.
• Quakers remain in Canada today, with small communities and meetings. In fact, there is a Quaker Meeting House in Kitchener!

The Underground Railroad

Image: https://waterlooinsider.wordpress.com/category/places-of-worship/page/8/

Image: https://etc.usf.edu/maps/pages/800/808/808.htm

Image: https://prezi.com/qgwimfzopszz/the-underground-railroad/

• The origins of the UR are unknown.
• However, the operation loosely began after the Revolutionary War (late 18th century).
• The UR can be described as a network of safe houses and secret routes, essentially an operation of various hiding places in different buildings used by African American slaves to escape slavery by journeying to Free States and Canada.
• Slaves were aided in their escape by abolitionists, including the Quakers and other groups, individuals, organizations and allies.
• The UR consisted of multiple routes through a variety of states.
• Slaves were subjected to various slave codes and slave laws depending on where they lived.
• In different states and at different times, slaves were treated differently in regards to laws concerning freedom, segregation and anti-slavery resistance (like the Fugitive Slave Law/Act).
• Many slaves risked their lives in seeking freedom.
• It is said that one who traveled the UR needed luck and as many guides as possible.

Image: https://www.pinterest.com/georgeschool/quakerism/

And how I came to know of them...The Invention of Wings

The Underground Railroad

Not exactly...

Video: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAhvJnbcOws

Quakers and Slavery

Image: www.crowncoffee.net

Actually...

The Quakers and slavery

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfUvdgEyYy

• The Quakers are a religious group who originated in the early 17th century in England.
• The founder was George Fox.
• Fox was dissatisfied with the teachings of the Anglican Church of England and had a transforming religious experience...

• Surprisingly, the Quakers were slaveholders for many years.
• At the time of the first Quaker migration (17th century) slavery existed as an institution in BNA.
• Not all Quakers interpreted their religious beliefs the same way. For some, slave holding was not a wrong practice, although treating slaves badly was.
• As a Quaker, Penn believed that if one were to have slaves, they should be treated in accordance with Christian doctrine.
• Penn did pursue action in an attempt to gradually emancipate slaves in Pennsylvania.
• Despite this, Quakers were still not happy with any slave holding within the Society.
• Despite always maintaining beliefs regarding the institution of slavery, the Quakers now began to take steps to eradicate slavery in BNA, firstly, by banning slave holding amongst members in 1780 and then fighting for abolition in a variety of ways.

Quaker Religious Beliefs

• Fox began to preach about his personal interpretations about Christian beliefs and scriptures.
• Fox's main belief was that that God could be found within each individual, and religious possibilities reside in each person regardless of race, nationality or class

George Fox

• Inner Light (God) present in each individual regardless of class, nationality or race.
• The Golder Rule: "do to others what you want them to do to you."
• Abstaining from sins such as violence and adultery.
• Equality (of all individuals in the eyes of God).

Just a bit more history...

Fun Fact

The Quakers were first called the "Society of Friends" (and are still sometimes called that today). The name “Quaker” was first associated with a group of religious women who shook and shivered whilst having religious experiences. In 1650, Fox told a Judge during his exhortation that he should, “tremble at the name of the Lord.” Additionally, members of the Society of Friends were also known to shake and shiver “when under the power of God.” Thus, the religious group came to be called "The Society of Quakers."

• Because of the increased religious persecution the Quakers faced from institutions in England, they decided to relocate to British North America (USA) under William Penn, a Quaker who founded the new state of Pennsylvania.
• The Quakers desired to live in a land where they could practice their religion freely and express their religious beliefs without being chastised.
• Penn’s plan for the new state included a government which was religiously and politically free and democratic.

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-follow-the-golden-rule-9/

A bit ahead of his time wasn't he?

A Quaker stands trial for his religious beliefs.

Image: https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/WHO-ARE-THE-QUAKERS-Mary-Dyer-A-Colonial-Execution