Enslaved Blacks in the United States, seeking freedom, often fled to Canada, especially after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 compelled citizens in free states to help slave-catchers apprehend them. Although they frequently faced racial prejudice in their new country and struggled with discriminatory hiring policies, they were free to make their own decisions and realize their dreams. In the words of one freedom seeker, Mrs. Christopher Hamilton of London, Canada West, "I thought it best to come to Canada and live as I pleased" (Primary Document Reader, 12), and Mrs. Hamilton was not alone in that.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2735/former-slave-narratives-from-canada/.