As part of our celebration of Black History Month, I was asked to find stories and examples of Black historical figures in Canada. Although most of us were not taught their stories, Black people have been present in the land we call Canada since long before Confederation. For the month of February, I will be using this space to highlight a few of them.
Marie-Joseph Angelique
Marie-Joseph Angélique was an enslaved woman living in what is now called “Old Montreal” in New France (modern-day Quebec). In spring of 1734, she was accused of setting fire to her slaveholder’s house and causing much of Old Montreal to burn in a chain reaction of events.
22 persons – rich and poor, men and women – testified against Marie-Joseph Angélique. All admitted that they did not see Angélique start the fire, but they were unanimously convinced of her guilt. Only her mistress, the widow Francheville, stood up for her slave, persuaded of her innocence.
Despite the fact that everyone wanted her to be guilty, the judge responsible for the case, Pierre Raimbault, reputed for his severe judgments, had nothing solid against Angélique. In spite of this, she was found guilty and sentenced to death, even as she continued to claim her innocence.
Marie-Joseph Angélique was hanged on June 21, 1734, in front of the burned buildings of Old Montreal. Her body was then burnt, and her ashes scattered.
Although it was long assumed that Angélique was guilty of the crime, in more recent years historians have questioned her trial, suggesting that her conviction was based more on her reputation as a rebellious slave than on credible evidence. Her story exposes the challenges that Blacks who longed to be free faced in the early days of Canada.
Rev Kathi
