VF 00 Voices of Freedom Tour Introduction



 


 


 


 


Welcome to the Voices of Freedom tour, in historic Niagara on the Lake.This exploration of our local Black History begins at the Niagara Historical Society Museum, at 43 Castlereigh Street. The black community of Niagara played an important role in the development of the town and township.

Niagara's black history dates back to the early days of settlement in the 1780s. Some of Niagara's first white settlers brought slaves with them, so this town was also tainted with the stain of that horrific institution.

But perhaps most significant is the fact that it was in Niagara-on-the-Lake that slavery was abolished in all of Upper Canada during the second session of parliament. Upper Canada was the first colony in the British Empire to enact such legislation. It was the modest beginning of a slow process of emancipation that spread around the world.

Though the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is not considered a major destination on the Underground Railroad, it is certain that many Black settlers lived, worked, and passed through here, and left their imprint on the history of the Town and the region.

In this tour, you will visit some of the locations significant to Black history in the Town of Niagara on the Lake.




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