Notes

Why did slaves want to go to Canada during the Underground rail road (1850-1860) in particular?
I'm doing a research project for my Canadian History class and i need some good solid information on why the slaves wanted to go to Canada other than being free. reasons why they wanted to be free etc.

Sources would be amazing if you could! Or if you know it off your head then state your (not full name cuz that would be creepy) name so i can give credit in my paper to you :D

thanks in advanced!
2 years ago Report Abuse



Michael
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

When the American black slaves went to Canada they were free.

An escaped slave who left a slave state for a free state were in grave danger of re-capture. There were various Federal Fugitive Slave Laws in America that actually required citizens of free states to assist slave catchers. That's why it was called the "Underground Railroad", white citizens of free states were breaking federal law and could have gone to jail if found to have helped escaped slaves. If the escaped slaves made it to Canada then they were free as well as out of reach of slave catchers.
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thanks! i really needed something solid to put into my paper :D

Other Answers (6)

dan
Slaves had to go to Canada to escape not only slavery, but discrimination and bigotry in general since the North was not the happy place for slaves that most have been taught. First there were five northern states with slavery, as well as many more, if not all, with black codes limiting blacks from all sorts of things. This notion that the North was a great place full of abolitionists is a myth. All of the US was as racist as the south was portrayed. Makes one wonder if the Civil War really was about slavery.
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Douglas L
All of the British Empire, including Canada, banned slavery in the 1830's as I recall. So in Canada there was no possibility of slaves being "repossessed" unlike the northern USA.
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Nick
Slave fugitive law(or something like that) said that if a slave escaped to the North than he would have to be returned to their owner so they ran to Canada so the slave hunters couldn't get them.
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tham153

Canada spoke English, was close to where they fled from, where they may have had friends and relatives still enslaved, and of course Canada did not have slavery and would not return them.
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mdgor1
slavery at that time in Canada was illegal so they came for the freedom and a new life. they certainly did not come for the weather.
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The Master
Gosh, I don't know. I can't think of any reason why they would wish to leave the USA...