August 1st marks the day slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire, freeing enslaved people in Canada. Racial inequality and anti-Black racism are legacies of enslavement. Mark #EmancipationDay by learning about enslavement in Canada with 6 @CdnEncyclopedia articles:

The #enslavement of #Indigenous peoples defines slavery in Canada and is part of a dark legacy of colonization. 2/3 of the slaves in New France were Indigenous. However, when slavery was abolished, enslaved Black ppl far outnumbered enslaved Indigenous ppl. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/slavery-of-indigenous-people-in-canada

In early Canada, the enslavement of African peoples was a legal instrument that helped fuel colonial economic enterprise. For 2 centuries, settlers in what is now Canada bought, sold & enslaved Black ppl, and were involved in the transatlantic slave trade. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-enslavement

Although little is known about Chloe Cooley, an enslaved woman in Upper Canada, her struggles against her “owner,” Sergeant Adam Vrooman, precipitated the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada, 1793 — the 1st British legislation to restrict the slave trade. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chloe-cooley-and-the-act-to-limit-slavery-in-upper-canada

The Slavery Abolition Act received Royal Assent in 1833 and took effect 1 August 1834. Commemorate #EmancipationDay by learning about the Act that made enslavement illegal in the British Colonies and freed the last remaining enslaved people in Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/slavery-abolition-act-1833

The 1850 #FugitiveSlaveAct extended the reach of the institution of slavery into free Northern US states. The Act stated that refugees from enslavement could be captured & returned to enslavement in the South. It led thousands of freedom-seekers to Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fugitive-slave-act-of-1850

The segregation of Black people in Canada was justified for many years after the abolition of slavery by perpetuating ideas about racial inferiority that had been used to justify Black enslavement. Learn about how racial segregation was enforced in Canada: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racial-segregation-of-black-people-in-canada

Thank you to our @CdnEncyclopedia contributors Bonita Lawrence ( @bonital3) and Natasha L. Henry ( @NHenryFundi) for their work on these articles. Please use this list as a starting point to learning more about the history and legacy of slavery in Canada.