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99-523: Africville was a small community of predominantly African Nova Scotians located in Halifax , Nova Scotia, Canada. It developed on the southern shore of Bedford Basin and existed from the early 1800s to the 1960s. From 1970 to the present, a protest has occupied space on the grounds. The government has recognized it as a commemorative site and established a museum here. The community has become an important symbol of Black Canadian identity, as an example of

198-636: A free woman was contested. This eventually led to a court trial. The community was named after British Brigadier General Samuel Birch , an official who assisted in the evacuation of Black Loyalists from New York . (Also named after the general was a much smaller settlement of Black Loyalists in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia , called Birchtown. ) The two other significant Black Loyalist communities established in Nova Scotia were Brindley town (present-day Jordantown ) and Tracadie . Birchtown

297-513: A furniture allowance, social assistance, and public housing units. Young families believed they had enough money to begin a new life, but most of the elderly residents would not budge; they had much more of an emotional connection to their homes. They were filled with grief and felt cheated out of their property. Resistance to eviction became more difficult as residents accepted the buyouts and their homes were demolished. The city quickly demolished each house as soon as residents moved out. Occasionally

396-798: A government built railway led by Nova Scotia was necessary after the failure of the Intercolonial Railway talks and several fruitless private proposals. The railway line to Windsor (known as the Windsor Branch) was opened in June 1858 and the line to Truro (known as the Eastern Line) was opened in December 1858. No further work was undertaken on the line to Victoria Beach beyond Windsor but the Eastern Line to Pictou Landing

495-472: A museum and build a replica of the community church. The dedicated site was a 1-hectare (2.5-acre) area. On 24 February 2010, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly made the Africville Apology , apologizing for the eviction as part of a $ 4.5 million compensation deal. The City restored the name Africville to Seaview Park at the annual Africville Family Reunion on 29 July 2011. A building designed to mimic

594-451: A poor community, none of the teachers up until 1933 had obtained formal training. Only 42 % of boys and girls received any education at all, as many families needed to have them help with paid work, or by taking care of younger siblings at home so parents could work. Out of the 140 children ever registered, 60 children reached either grade 7 or 8, and only four boys and one girl reached grade 10. To understand Africville, "you got to know about

693-975: A proclamation in the South promising freedom and land to those who wanted to join them. Creation of institutions such as the Royal Acadian School and the African Baptist Church in Halifax, founded in 1832, opened opportunities for Black Canadians. During the years before the American Civil War, an estimated ten to thirty thousand African Americans migrated to Canada, mostly as individual or small family groups; many settled in Ontario. A number of Black Nova Scotians also have some Indigenous heritage, due to historical intermarriage between Black and First Nations communities. In

792-402: A relief train arriving at Halifax noted Africville residents "as they wandered disconsolately around the ruins of their still standing little homes." In the aftermath of the disaster, Africville received modest relief assistance from the city, but none of the reconstruction and none of the modernization invested into other parts of the city at that time. Beginning in the early 20th century around

891-532: A school established in 1785 that served the Black community for decades under Rev. Charles Inglis .) Other residents arrived later, in association with Black people being recruited from the American South for jobs in mining at Glace Bay . During the 20th century, Halifax neglected the community, failing to provide basic infrastructure and services such as roads, water, and sewerage. The city continued to use

990-522: A significant Black population, first drawn there by the opening of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company steel mill in the early 20th century. Over 10,000 Over 5,000 Over 1,000 Black Nova Scotians by share of overall Black Canadian population: The first recorded Black person in Canada was Mathieu da Costa . He arrived in Nova Scotia sometime between 1605 and 1608 as a translator for

1089-555: A year and a half this post-relocation program lay in ruins." Family strains and debt forced many to rely on public assistance, and anxiety was high among the former residents. One of the big complaints was that "they feel no sense of ownership or pride in the sterile public housing projects." Part of the former territory of Africville is occupied by a highway interchange that serves the A. Murray MacKay Bridge . The port development at Fairview Cove did not extend as far east as Africville, leaving its historic waterfront intact. In light of

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1188-530: A year earlier. Internal city government documents show the demolition order being sent in 1967, with a claim that the building was dangerous. At the time, it was still in use: residents remember the church being bulldozed in 1967, shortly after the last active service; another service was being planned for the end of the year. It was bulldozed with the vital records of many residents inside, such as birth, marriage, and death records, which could have established chains of custody for land claims. The last Africville home

1287-855: The Liverpool Packet ). The last slave sale in Nova Scotia occurred in 1804. During the war, Nova Scotian Sir William Winniett served as a crew on board HMS  Tonnant in the effort to free enslaved people from America. (As the Governor of the Gold Coast , Winniett would later also work to end the slave trade in Western Africa.) By the end of the War of 1812 and the arrival of the Black Refugees, there were few people left enslaved in Nova Scotia. (The Slave Trade Act outlawed

1386-829: The Africville Apology , the Viola Desmond Pardon , the restorative justice initiative for the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, and most recently the official apology to the No. 2 Construction Battalion . Main denominations of African Nova Scotians Christians According to the 2021 Census, 59.1% of African Nova Scotians are Christian , especially Baptist, and 38.1 % are irreligious . 86.4% of African Nova Scotians are born to Canadian-born parents and 12% of them are born to at-least one immigrant parent. Black Nova Scotians were initially established in rural settings, which usually functioned independently until

1485-573: The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia , which opened in 1983. The organization houses a museum, library and archival area. Oliver designed the Black Cultural Centre to help all Nova Scotians become aware of how Black culture is woven into the heritage of the province. The centre also helps Nova Scotians trace their history of championing human rights and overcoming racism in the province. For his efforts in establishing

1584-843: The Campbell Road Settlement , Africville began as a small, poor, self-sufficient rural community of about 50 people during the 19th century. The earliest colonial settlement of Africville began with the relocation of Black Loyalists , former slaves from the Thirteen Colonies who escaped from rebel masters and were freed by the British in the course of the American Revolutionary War . The Crown transported them and other Loyalists to Nova Scotia, promising land and supplies for their service. The Crown also promised land and equal rights to refugees of

1683-533: The Great War , more people had moved there, drawn by jobs in industries and related facilities developed nearby. Economically, the first two generations were not prosperous, as labourers had limited opportunities. Many men found employment in low-paying jobs; others worked as seamen or Pullman porters , who would clean and work on train cars. This steady employment on the Pullman cars was considered prestigious at

1782-536: The Port of Halifax facilities at Fairview Cove to the west. Soon after this, former residents and activists began a long protest on the site against their treatment and the condemnation. In 1996 the site was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada as being representative of Black Canadian settlements in the province and as an enduring symbol of the need for vigilance in defence of their communities and institutions. After years of protest and investigations, in 2010

1881-677: The Protestant Society for the Propagation of the Gospel . Some of the schoolmasters were: Thomas Brownspriggs (c.1788–1790) and Dempsey Jordan (1818–?). There were 23 Black families at Tracadie in 1808; by 1827 this number had increased to 30 or more. While most Black people who arrived in Nova Scotia during the American Revolution were free, others were not. Enslaved Black peoples also arrived in Nova Scotia as

1980-483: The United States settled in many parts of Nova Scotia including Hammonds Plains, Beechville , Lucasville and Africville . Canada was not suited to the large-scale plantation agriculture practiced in the southern United States, and slavery became increasingly rare. In 1793, in one of the first acts of the new Upper Canadian colonial parliament , slavery was abolished. It was all but abolished throughout

2079-464: The War of 1812 . The British had promised enslaved people of rebels freedom if they joined their forces (See Dunmore's Proclamation and Philipsburg Proclamation ). Approximately three thousand Black Loyalists were evacuated by ship to Nova Scotia between April and November 1783, traveling on Navy vessels or British chartered private transports. This group was made up largely of tradespeople and labourers. Many of these African Americans had roots in

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2178-600: The " urban renewal " trend of the 1960s that razed similarly racialized neighbourhoods across Canada, and the struggle against racism. Africville was founded by Black Nova Scotians from a variety of origins. Many of the first settlers were formerly enslaved African Americans from the Thirteen Colonies , Black Loyalists who were freed by the Crown during the American Revolutionary War and War of 1812 . (Black people settled in Africville along Albemarle Street, where they had

2277-473: The "Stephenson Report" of 1957 and the establishment of Halifax's Department of Development in 1961, the city proposed relocation of these residents. In 1962, Halifax City Council adopted the relocation proposal unanimously, and the "Rose Report" (publ. 1964) was passed 37/41 in favour of relocation. The formal relocation took place mainly from 1964 to 1967. The residents and their belongings were moved by Halifax garbage trucks. This image were long remembered by

2376-755: The 1812 War . In 1836, Campbell Road was constructed, creating an access route along the north side of the Halifax Peninsula . After starting with the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church in 1832, clergyman Richard Preston established the Seaview African United Baptist Church in Africville in 1849, as one of five others in Halifax : Preston (1842), Beechville (1844), Hammonds Plains (1845), and Dartmouth . Accordingly, Preston, along with Septimus Clarke , are credited as co-founders of

2475-622: The 1920s, which led to a Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) office in Cape Breton, and then the famous 1937 visit. He was initially drawn by the founding of an African Orthodox Church in Sydney in 1921 and maintained contact with the ex-pat West Indian community. The UNIA invited him to visit in 1937. (Garvey presided over UNIA regional conferences and conventions in Toronto, in 1936, 1937, and 1938. At

2574-651: The 1937 meeting he inaugurated his School of African Philosophy.) Despite objections from Martin Luther King Jr. , this separatist politics was reinforced again in the 1960s by the Black Power Movement and especially its militant subgroup the Black Panther Party . Francis Beaufils (a.k.a. Ronald Hill) was a fugitive Black Panther facing charges in the U.S. who had found refuge in rural Nova Scotia. The separatist movement influenced

2673-961: The 1960s. Black Nova Scotians in urban areas today still trace their roots to these rural settlements. Some of the settlements include: Gibson Woods, Greenville, Weymouth Falls , Birchtown , East Preston , Cherry Brook , Lincolnville , Upper Big Tracadie , Five Mile Plains , North Preston , Tracadie , Shelburne , Lucasville , Beechville , and Hammonds Plains among others. Some have roots in other Black settlements located in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island including Elm Hill, New Brunswick , Willow Grove (Saint John, NB) and The Bog (Charlottetown, PEI). Prominent Black neighbourhoods exist in most towns and cities in Nova Scotia including Halifax , Truro , New Glasgow , Sydney , Digby , Shelburne and Yarmouth . Black neighbourhoods in Halifax include Uniacke Square and Mulgrave Park . The ethnically diverse Whitney Pier neighbourhood of Sydney has

2772-728: The 20th century, Black Nova Scotians organized for civil rights, establishing such groups as the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission , the Black United Front , and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia . In the 21st century, the government and grassroots groups have initiated actions in Nova Scotia to address past harm done to Black Nova Scotians, such as

2871-575: The African United Baptist Association, a network of Black Baptist churches throughout Nova Scotia. While the community never officially was established, the first land transaction documented on paper was dated 1848. The first two landowners in Africville were William Arnold and William Brown. In the late 1850s, the Nova Scotia Railway , later to become the Intercolonial Railway , was built from Richmond to

2970-583: The American states of Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Maryland. Some came from Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York as well. Many of these African-American settlers were recorded in the Book of Negroes . In 1785 in Halifax, educational opportunities began to develop with the establishment of Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ( Bray Schools ). In Halifax, for example,

3069-602: The Black Pioneers. Historian Barry Moody has referred to Blucke as "the true founder of the Afro-Nova Scotian community." Blucke led the founding of Birchtown, Nova Scotia , in 1783. The community was the largest settlement of Black Loyalists and was the largest free settlement of Africans in North America in the 18th century. One of these Loyalists was a woman named Mary Postell, whose status as

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3168-515: The Black people in eastern Nova Scotia migrated to Sierra Leone. One of the Black Loyalists was Andrew Izard (c. 1755 – ?). He was formerly enslaved by Ralph Izard in St. George, South Carolina . He worked on a rice plantation and grew up on Combahee. When he was young he was valued at 100 pounds. In 1778 Izard made his escape. During the American Revolution he worked for the British army in

3267-525: The British government approved 16,000 pounds for the emigration, three times the total annual budget for Nova Scotia. They were led to Sierra Leone by John Clarkson and became known as the Nova Scotian Settlers . The other significant Black Loyalist settlement is Tracadie . Led by Thomas Brownspriggs , Black Nova Scotians who had settled at Chedabucto Bay behind the present-day village of Guysborough migrated to Tracadie (1787). None of

3366-469: The Crown, 69% (2775) were free, 35% (1423) were former British soldiers, and 31% (1232) were slaves of white Loyalists. While 41 former slaves were sent to Dartmouth, none were sent to Halifax. 550 Jamaican Maroons lived in Halifax for four years (1796–1800); they were resettled in Freetown (now Sierra Leone ). A return in December 1816 indicates there were 155 Black people who migrated to Halifax during

3465-676: The DAR was sold by CPR in 1994, the Windsor Branch came under the control of the shortline Windsor and Hantsport Railway . The Government of Canada dissolved the NSR in 1872 when it became part of the Intercolonial Railway . The ICR in turn was controlled by Canadian Government Railways from 1915 to 1918 and was merged into the Canadian National Railways or CNR in 1918. The Halifax to Truro line remains part of CN, however

3564-459: The Department of Education. The Association also developed an Adult Education program with the government department. By 1970, over one-third of the 270 members were white. Along with Oliver and the direct involvement of the premier of Nova Scotia Robert Stanfield , many Black activists were responsible for the establishment of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (1967). Originally

3663-668: The French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts . The first known Black person to live in Canada was an enslaved person from Madagascar named Olivier Le Jeune (who may have been of partial Malay ancestry). Of the 10,000 French living at Louisbourg (1713–1760) and on the rest of Ile Royale , 216 were African-descended slaves. According to historian Kenneth Donovan, slaves on Ile Royal worked as "servants, gardeners, bakers, tavern keepers, stone masons, musicians, laundry workers, soldiers, sailors, fishermen, hospital workers, ferry men, executioners and nursemaids." More than 90 per cent of

3762-526: The Halifax Council ratified the Africville Apology under an arrangement with the federal government to compensate descendants and their families who had been evicted from the area. In addition, an Africville Heritage Trust was established to design a museum and build a replica of the community church. Africville has been claimed as one of "the first free Black communities outside of Africa," along with other settlements in Nova Scotia. First known as

3861-718: The Halifax church being referred to as the "Mother Church." Five of these churches were established in Halifax : Preston (1842), Beechville (1844), Hammonds Plains (1845), and another in Africville (1849) and Dartmouth. From meetings held at the church, they also established the African Friendly Society, the African Abolition Society, and the African United Baptist Association . The church remained

3960-520: The Intercolonial at Africville. The Intercolonial Railway, later Canadian National Railways , constructed Basin Yard west of the community, adding more tracks. Trains ran through the area constantly. With haphazardly positioned dwellings that ranged from small, well-maintained, and brightly painted homes to tiny ramshackle dwellings converted from sheds, the community had a peak population of 400 at

4059-749: The NSAACP had branches in Halifax, Cobequid Road, Digby, Weymouth Falls, Beechville, Inglewooe, Hammonds Plains and Yarmouth. Preston and Africville branches were added in 1962, the same year New Road, Cherry Brook, and Preston East requested branches. In 1947, the Association successfully took the case of Viola Desmond to the Supreme Court of Canada. It also pressured the Children's Hospital in Halifax to allow for Black women to become nurses; it advocated for inclusion and challenged racist curriculum in

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4158-494: The Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People was formed in 1945 out of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church. The organization was intent of improving the standard of living for Black Nova Scotians. The organization also attempted to improve Black-white relations in co-operation with private and governmental agencies. The organization was joined by 500 Black Nova Scotians. By 1956,

4257-493: The Nova Scotian legislature refused to legalize slavery. Two chief justices, Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange (1790–1796) and Sampson Salter Blowers (1797–1832) waged "judicial war" in their efforts to free enslaved people from their owners in Nova Scotia. They were held in high regard in the colony. Justice Alexander Croke (1801–1815) also impounded American slave ships during this time period (the most famous being

4356-597: The Presbyterian church who enslaved people. Historian Alan Wilson describes the document as "a landmark on the road to personal freedom in province and country." Historian Robin Winks writes "[it is] the sharpest attack to come from a Canadian pen even into the 1840s; he had also brought about a public debate which soon reached the courts." In 1790 John Burbidge freed the people he had enslaved. Led by Richard John Uniacke , in 1787, 1789 and again on January 11, 1808,

4455-507: The Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ( Bray Schools ). The decline of slavery in Nova Scotia happened in large part by local judicial decisions in keeping with those by the British courts of the late 18th century. The next major migration happened during the War of 1812 , again with African Americans escaping slavery in the United States. Many came after having gained passage and freedom on British ships. The British issued

4554-509: The Seaview African United Baptist Church, demolished in 1969, was erected in the summer of 2011 to serve as a museum and historic interpretation centre. The nearly complete church was ceremonially opened on 25 September 2011. The opening ceremonies included a gospel concert, several church services, and the release of a compilation audio album with archival recordings of songs sung in Africville. Since then,

4653-490: The area as an industrial site, notably introducing a waste-treatment facility nearby in 1958. The residents of Africville struggled with poverty and poor health conditions as a result, and the community's buildings became badly deteriorated. During the late 1960s, the City of Halifax condemned the area, relocating its residents to newer housing in order to develop the nearby A. Murray MacKay Bridge , related highway construction, and

4752-594: The black Loyalists performed military service in the British Army, particularly as part of the only black regiment of the war, the Black Pioneers , while others served non-military roles. The soldiers of the Black Pioneers settled in Digby and were given small compensation in comparison to the white Loyalist soldiers. Many of the Black settled under the leadership of Stephen Blucke , a prominent black leader of

4851-553: The canal were too low for the steamers on the canal). One noteworthy early feature of operations on the Nova Scotia Railway was the first known case of intermodal operations involving the "piggyback" transport of road vehicles on railway cars. Farmers in the Windsor area were able to drive their teams of horses and loaded wagons onto railway cars and be transported into Halifax to sell their loads, returning to Windsor

4950-409: The centre of social activism throughout the 20th century. Reverends at the church included William A. White (1919–1936) and William Pearly Oliver (1937–1962). Numerous Black Nova Scotians fought in the American Civil War in the effort to end slavery. Perhaps the most well known Nova Scotians to fight in the war effort are Joseph B. Noil and Benjamin Jackson . Three Black Nova Scotians served in

5049-467: The chapel was completed, Black citizens of Halifax were reported to be proud of this accomplishment because it was evidence that former enslaved people could establish their own institutions in Nova Scotia. Under the direction of Richard Preston, the church laid the foundation for social action to address the plight of Black Nova Scotians. Preston and others went on to establish a network of socially active Black baptist churches throughout Nova Scotia, with

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5148-421: The church;" the life and heart of the town. The Seaview African United Baptist Church was established at Africville in 1849; it joined with other Black Baptist congregations to establish the African Baptist Association in 1854. The community's social life revolved around the church, which was the place of baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Other Black groups came to Africville for Sunday picnics and events. Everything

5247-430: The city decided to move the town garbage dump and landfill to the Africville area. While the residents knew they could not legally fight this, they illegally salvaged the dump for usable goods. They would get clothes, copper, steel, brass, tin, etc. The dump contributed to the city's classifying this area as an official slum. Scholars have concluded that the razing of Africville was a confluence of "overt and hidden racism,

5346-405: The city demolished a house whenever an opportunity presented itself—such as when a resident was in the hospital. On 20 November 1967, the church at Africville was demolished at night to avoid controversy, a year before the city officially possessed the building. There is controversy around the documentation, which shows the church was sold in 1968; the page has been edited by hand to forge the sale as

5445-408: The city's continued negative response to the people of Africville, the community failed to develop, and this failure was then used as a rationale to destroy it. There were many hardships, suspicion and jealousy that emerged, mostly due to complications of land and ownership claims. Only 14 residents held clear legal titles to their land. Those with no legal rights were given a $ 500 payment and promised

5544-422: The coloured people" and would often be sent out by the Baptist association on missionary visits to the black communities surrounding Halifax. He was the mentor of Richard Preston . New Horizons Baptist Church (formerly known as Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, the African Chapel, and the African Baptist Church) is a baptist church in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was established by Black Refugees in 1832. When

5643-428: The controversy related to the relocation, the city of Halifax created the Seaview Memorial Park on the site in the 1980s, preserving it from development. The park was most often used as an off-leash dog park. Eddie Carvery has been living on the Africville site since 1970 in protest of the razing despite city officials seizing his trailers several times. Likewise, former Africville residents carried out periodic protests at

5742-402: The destruction of Africville, and the establishment of a development fund to go towards historical preservation of Africville lands and social development in benefit of former residents and their descendants. On 23 February 2010, the Halifax Council ratified a proposed Africville apology, with an arrangement with the Government of Canada to establish a $ 250,000 Africville Heritage Trust to design

5841-445: The development of the Halifax-based Black United Front (BUF). Black United Front was a Black nationalist organization that included Burnley "Rocky" Jones and was loosely based on the 10 point program of the Black Panther Party . In 1968, Stokely Carmichael , who coined the phrase Black Power! , visited Nova Scotia helping organize the BUF. Reverend William Oliver eventually left the BUF and became instrumental in establishing

5940-552: The enslaved people were from the French West Indies , which included Saint-Domingue, the chief sugar colony, and Guadeloupe. Among the founders recorded for Halifax, were 17 free Black people. By 1767, there were 54 Black people living in Halifax. When Halifax, Nova Scotia , was established (1749), some British people brought slaves to the city. For example, shipowner and trader Joshua Mauger sold enslaved people at auction there. A few newspaper advertisements were published for runaway slaves. The first Black community in Halifax

6039-489: The face of opposition from Wentworth. On August 6, 1800, the Maroons departed Halifax, arriving on October 1 at Freetown , Sierra Leone . In their new home, the Maroons established a new community at Maroon Town, Sierra Leone . In 1808, George Prévost authorized a Black regiment to be formed in the colony under captain Silas Hardy and Col. Christopher Benson . The next major migration of Black people into Nova Scotia occurred between 1813 and 1815. Black Refugees from

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6138-424: The famous 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry : Hammel Gilyer, Samuel Hazzard, and Thomas Page. In 1894, an all-Black ice hockey league, known as the Coloured Hockey League , was founded in Nova Scotia. Black players from Canada's Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island ) participated in competition. The league began to play 23 years before the National Hockey League

6237-439: The first teacher was a "capable and serious Negroe woman". Initially, the school was in the Orphan House and had 36 Black children, six of whom were enslaved. She was followed by Reverend William Furmage (d. 1793), Huntingdonian Missionary who was buried in the Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia) . After a year he was followed by Isaac Limerick. Limerick moved the school and went into debt to maintain it. The next teacher

6336-453: The four leading organizations in the 20th century to support Black Nova Scotians and, ultimately, all Nova Scotians, William Oliver was awarded the Order of Canada in 1984. Nova Scotia Railway The Nova Scotia Railway is a historic Canadian railway . It was composed of two lines, one connecting Richmond (immediately north of Halifax ) with Windsor , the other connecting Richmond with Pictou Landing via Truro . The railway

6435-445: The graves are from the New England Planter migration (1763–1775), and 22 graves are from immediately following the arrival of the Black Loyalists in 1776. Rev. John Breynton reported that in 1783, he baptized 40 Black people and buried many because of disease. According to a 1783 report, 73 Black people arrived in Halifax from New York. Of the 4007 Black people who came to Nova Scotia in 1783 as part of promised resettlement by

6534-403: The mandate of the commission was primarily to address the plight of Black Nova Scotians. The first employee and administrative officer of the commission was Gordon Earle . In keeping with the times, Reverend William Oliver began the Black United Front in 1969, which explicitly adopted a Black separatist agenda. The Black separatist movement of the United States had a significant influence on

6633-544: The mobilization of the Black community in 20th Century Nova Scotia. This Black separatist approach to address racism and black empowerment was introduced to Nova Scotia by Marcus Garvey in the 1920s. Garvey argued that Black people would never get a fair deal in white society, so they ought to form separate republics or return to Africa. White people are considered a homogenous group who are essentially racist and, in that sense, are considered unredeemable in efforts to address racism. Garvey visited Nova Scotia twice, first in

6732-456: The monies provided by the Jamaican Government, procured an annual stipend of £240 for the support of a school and religious education. The Maroons complained about the bitterly cold winters, their segregated conditions, unfamiliar farming methods, and less than adequate accommodation. The Maroon leader, Montague James , petitioned the British government for the right to passage to Sierra Leone , and they were eventually granted that opportunity in

6831-482: The museum has given tours of the site, put on a number of exhibits, commissioned a play about the beginnings of Africville, and organized a number of fundraisers and petitions, including to add a transit stop at and accessibility improvements to the museum. The Africville Museum continues to have problems with area use, including local residents who continue to use Seaview Park as a dog park and vandals who are putting graffiti on signs and disrupting trust efforts to identify

6930-452: The number who were transported from Jamaica to Nova Scotia, with one saying that 568 Maroons of Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town) made the trip in 1796. It seems that just under 600 left Jamaica, with 17 dying on the ship, and 19 in their first winter in Nova Scotia. A Canadian surgeon counted 571 Maroons in Nova Scotia in 1797. Their initial destination was Lower Canada but on July 21 and 23, the ships arrived in Nova Scotia. At this time Halifax

7029-440: The only Canadian Battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve in World War I . The battalion was raised in Nova Scotia and 56% of battalion members (500 soldiers) came from the province. Reverend William A. White of the Battalion became the first Black officer in the British Empire. An earlier black military unit in Nova Scotia was the Victoria Rifles . Founded by Pearleen Oliver and led by minister William Pearly Oliver ,

7128-493: The other British North American colonies by 1800, and was illegal throughout the British Empire after 1834. This made Canada an attractive destination for those fleeing slavery in the United States, such as American minister Boston King . In 1814, Walter Bromley opened the Royal Acadian School which included many Black students – children and adults – whom he taught on the weekends because they were employed during

7227-515: The park throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Africville Genealogy Society was formed in 1983 to track former residents and their descendants. Halifax mayor Peter Kelly offered land, some money, and various other services for a replica of the Seaview African United Baptist Church . After the offer was made in 2002, the Africville Genealogy Society requested some alterations to the Halifax offer, including additional land and

7326-595: The people to new and improved housing. The intent was to redevelop some land for "higher" uses with greater economic return: business and industry. Other notable racialized neighbourhoods razed under the banner of urban renewal include The Ward in Toronto, and Rooster Town in Winnipeg. Many years earlier, and again in 1947 after a major fire burnt several Africville houses, officials discussed redevelopment and relocation of Africville. But more concrete plans of relocation did not officially emerge until 1961. Stimulated by

7425-413: The people; they took it to represent the degrading way they were treated before, during, and after the move. Many former residents believe that the city council had no plans to turn Africville into an industrial site and that racism was the basis of the community's destruction. They believe that the city wanted to remove from Halifax a concentrated group of Black people for whom they had no regard. Because of

7524-472: The possibility of building affordable housing near the site. The area that once was Africville was thereby declared a national historic site in 2002. In May 2005, New Democratic Party of Nova Scotia MLA Maureen MacDonald introduced a bill in the provincial legislature called the Africville Act . The bill called for a formal apology from the Nova Scotia government, a series of public hearings on

7623-516: The progressive impulse in favour of racial integration , and the rise of liberal-bureaucratic social reconstruction ideas." During the 1940s and 1950s in different parts of Canada, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments were working together for urban renewal , particularly after the Allied victory in World War II: there was energy to redevelop areas classified as slums and relocate

7722-631: The property of White American Loyalists. In 1772, prior to the American Revolution, Britain outlawed the slave trade in the British Isles followed by the Knight v. Wedderburn decision in Scotland in 1778. This decision, in turn, influenced the colony of Nova Scotia. In 1788, abolitionist James Drummond MacGregor from Pictou published the first anti-slavery literature in Canada and began purchasing slaves' freedom and chastising his colleagues in

7821-464: The same congregation. In 1811 Burton's church had 33 members, the majority of whom were free Black people from Halifax and the neighbouring settlements of Preston and Hammonds Plains. According to historian Stephen Davidson, they were "shunned, or merely tolerated, by the rest of Christian Halifax, the they were first warmly received in the Baptist Church." Burton became known as "an apostle to

7920-688: The same day. On July 1, 1867, ownership of the NSR was passed from the Government of Nova Scotia to the Government of Canada . The Windsor Branch was leased to the Windsor and Annapolis Railway in 1871. The W&A became part of the Dominion Atlantic Railway or DAR in 1894 and the DAR itself was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway or CPR in 1912, although it was operated as a separate entity. When

8019-458: The sites of former houses. A civil lawsuit has been filed seeking individual compensation for property in Africville. 44°40′28.5″N 63°37′6.6″W  /  44.674583°N 63.618500°W  / 44.674583; -63.618500 African Nova Scotians In this period, British missionaries began to develop educational opportunities for Black Nova Scotians through the Society for

8118-544: The slave trade in the British Empire in 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 outlawed slavery all together.) According to historian Richard Cannon, on June 26, 1796, 543 men, women and children, Jamaican Maroons , were deported on board the ships Dover, Mary and Anne, from Jamaica after being defeated in an uprising against the British colonial government. However, many historians disagree on

8217-425: The south, bisecting Africville with the railway's main line along the western shores of Bedford Basin . The community became known as Africville around 1900. Many people believed the name came as result of those who lived there having come from Africa; however, this was not the case. One elderly resident of Africville has been quoted as saying "It wasn't Africville out there. None of the people came from Africa...[I]t

8316-420: The team, along with three Dixon brothers also on the squad. Throughout its history, Africville was confronted with isolation. The town never received proper roads, health services, water, street lamps or electricity. Residents protested to the city and called for municipal water supply and treatment of sewage, to no avail. The lack of these services had serious adverse health effects on residents. Contamination of

8415-477: The time of the Halifax Explosion in 1917. Elevated land to the south protected Africville from the direct blast of the explosion and the complete destruction that levelled the neighbouring community of Richmond . However, Africville suffered considerable damage. Four Africville residents (as well as one Mi'kmaq woman visiting from Queens County, Nova Scotia ) were killed by the explosion. A doctor on

8514-440: The time, as the men also got to travel and see the country. Only 35% of labourers had regular employment, and 65% of the people worked as domestic servants. Women were also hired as cooks, to clean the hospital or prison, and some elderly women were hired to clean upper-class houses. The community was neglected in terms of education. The city built the first elementary school here in 1883, at the expense of community residents. Being

8613-544: The wagonmaster-general's department. He was on one of the final ships to leave New York in 1783. He traveled on the Nisbett in November, which sailed to Port Mouton. The village burned to the ground in the spring of 1784 and he was transported to Guysborough. There he raised a family and still has descendants that live in the community. Education in the Black community was initially advocated by Charles Inglis who sponsored

8712-606: The week. Some of the Black students entered into business in Halifax while others were hired as servants. In 1836, the African School was established in Halifax from the Protestant Gospel School (Bray School) and was soon followed by similar schools at Preston, Hammond's Plains and Beech Hill . Following Black Loyalist preacher David George , Baptist minister John Burton was one of the first ministers to integrate Black and white Nova Scotians into

8811-464: The wells was so frequent that residents had to boil their water before using it for drinking or cooking. From the mid-19th century, the City of Halifax located its least desirable facilities in the Africville area, where the people had little political power and property values were low. A prison was built there in 1853, an infectious disease hospital in 1870, as well as a slaughterhouse, and a depository for fecal waste from nearby Russellville. In 1958,

8910-439: Was a white woman, Mrs. Deborah Clarke (1793–1809), followed by Mary Fitzgerald. The school was dissolved in 1814 (when the Royal Acadian School was established for Black and white people). The next teacher was Daniel Gallagher, who held the position of schoolmaster for a long period. The school was in the Black community on Albemarle Street, where it served the people for decades under the son of Rev. Charles Inglis . Many of

9009-491: Was completed by June 1867, under the supervision of Sir Sandford Fleming . The construction of the Nova Scotia Railway by the colonial government was partly encouraged by the construction failures and ongoing delays in building the Shubenacadie Canal The success of the railway came at the expense of the canal which opened in 1861, but soon fell into disrepair from lack of use (and because the rail bridges over

9108-402: Was demolished on 2 January 1970. After relocation to public housing within the city limits, the residents had new problems: cost of living went up in their new homes, more people were unemployed and without regular incomes, none of the promised employment or education programs were implemented, and the city's promises went unfulfilled. "Benefits were so modest as to be virtually irrelevant…within

9207-479: Was done through the church, "clubs, youth organizations, ladies' auxiliary and Bible classes." The Africville Seasides hockey team, of the pioneering Colored Hockey League (1894–1930), won the championship in 1901 and 1902, beating West End Rangers from Prince Edward Island to retain their title in a 3–2 single game victory in February 1902. The team was led by star goaltender William Carvery, his two brothers on

9306-533: Was experiencing a major construction boom initiated by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn 's efforts to modernize the city's defenses. The many building projects had created a labour shortage. Edward was impressed by the Maroons and immediately put them to work at the Citadel in Halifax , Government House, and other defense works throughout the city. The British Lieutenant Governor Sir John Wentworth , from

9405-613: Was founded, and as such, it has been credited with some innovations which exist in the NHL today. Most notably, it is claimed that the first player to use the slapshot was Eddie Martin of the Halifax Eurekas, more than 100 years ago. The league remained in operation until 1930. The No. 2 Construction Battalion , Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), was the only predominantly Black battalion in Canadian military history and also

9504-481: Was incorporated March 31, 1853 and received a charter to build railway lines from Halifax to Pictou by way of Truro, as well as from Halifax to Victoria Beach, Nova Scotia on the Annapolis Basin opposite Digby by way of Windsor. The company also received a charter to build from Truro to the border with New Brunswick . The railway was a key project of the visionary Nova Scotian leader Joseph Howe who felt

9603-598: Was located near the larger town of Shelburne , with a majority white population. Racial tensions in Shelburne erupted into the 1784 Shelburne riots , when white Loyalist residents drove Black residents out of Shelburne and into Birchtown. In the years after the riot, Shelbourne county lost population due to economic factors, and at least half of the families in Birchtown abandoned the settlement and emigrated to Sierra Leone in 1792. To accommodate these British subjects,

9702-470: Was on Albemarle Street, which later became the site of the first school for Black students in Nova Scotia (1786). The school for Black students was the only charitable school in Halifax for the next 26 years. Whites were not allowed to attend. Prior to 1799, 29 recorded Black people were buried in the Old Burying Ground ; 12 of them were listed with both first and last names, seven of

9801-401: Was part of Richmond (Northern Halifax) , just the part where the colour folks lived." Strangers later moved into Africville to take advantage of its unregulated status, selling illicit liquor and sex, largely to the mass of transient soldiers and sailors passing through Halifax. A second railway line appeared in 1906 with the arrival of the Halifax and Southwestern Railway , which connected to

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