Over and over, Loyalists of African descent were disappointed in their hopes
of full participation in Atlantic Canadian life.
After eight years of residence in the region,
fewer than half had received land. Others lived in fear of being kidnapped and
sold into the United States as slaves.
For the landless, the employment situation was grim. Some were forced to
sell themselves as indentured servants.
They were denied both the right to vote and the right to trial by jury.Many came to feel that the only solution was emigration. One of the most active in promoting emigration was Thomas Peters, a former sergeant in the Black Pioneers. While on a trip to London, England, he was approached by British abolitionists. They believed that the existence of a prosperous British colony, trading in precious woods and other commodities, might entice British merchants to view the Africans as trading partners, rather than slaves.
In the end, the British government agreed to pay the necessary £15,000 to resettle the Loyalists in Africa. Recruitment in Atlantic Canada began immediately. Whole congregations left together. In all, over 1100 people, left Halifax on January 16, 1792, outward bound for Freetown in Sierra Leone. Of these, sixty-five would die at sea, the victims of fever. Once in Sierra Leone, the new settlers faced a life of uncertainty, which included the danger of being sold into slavery.
For those who stayed in Atlantic Canada, the situation was grim. Church and community leaders had been lost to Sierra Leone. Without their leadership, churches and schools foundered. The school in Birchtown closed in 1795 and was not reopened for several years. It was a bleak time for the population and for the survival of African culture in general. In time, however, Atlantic Canada would welcome a new influx of African settlers.
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada.