The Refugees From Slavery In Canada West: Report To The Freedmen's Inquiry Commission

by Samuel Gridley Howe

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 1864

About the author

Samuel Gridley Howe (10 November 1801 - 9 January 1876) was a nineteenth century United States physician, abolitionist, and an advocate of education for the blind. He organized and was the first director of the Perkins Institution for the Blind.

Howe married Julia Ward, an ardent supporter of abolitionism and an activist in the cause of woman's suffrage. Ward composed the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" during the American Civil War.

He was the father of three accomplished authors, Laura E. Richards, Maud Howe Elliott & Florence Howe.

As an abolitionist, in 1863, he was one of three men appointed by the Secretary of War to the American Freedmen's Inquiry Commission, to investigate conditions of freedmen in the South since the Emancipation Proclamation and recommend how they could be aided in their transition to freedom. In addition to traveling to the South, Howe traveled to Canada West (now Ontario, Canada), where thousands of former slaves had escaped to freedom and established new lives; he interviewed freedmen as well as government officials in Canada.

Reviews

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

While a government report, a fascinating read of US government officials studying the Canadian Freed Black population. Plenty of gaps and commentaries about Canadian culture and it’s prejudices. Informative read, considering jt is from pre-confederation Canada.

Of note is that I am reading this in the year of Canada’s 150th anniversary, where we are encouraged to reflect on our country’s history.