The Wilberforce Settlement / L’Établissement Wilberforce

In 1829, a group of free Blacks from Cincinnati, Ohio, traveled to Biddulph Township in Upper Canada to establish an organized colony where they could enjoy freedom, self-determination, and equality. They were joined by African Americans from New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and elsewhere, purchased 323 hectares (800 acres) from the Canada Company with help from Ohio Quakers, and named the settlement after British abolitionist William Wilberforce. By 1832, the community included 32 families, a sawmill, two schools, Baptist and Methodist congregations, a temperance society, and tradesmen including a blacksmith, shoemaker, and tailor. The colony did not expand because the number of settlers was much smaller than originally planned and Canada Company agents were unwilling to sell more land. Many leaders had left by the 1840s, but a core group remained, and their descendants continued living in the area into the 21st century. Through land ownership, hard work, education, and legal equality, these freedom pioneers struck a blow against American oppression and opened a path for others to follow.

Ontario · Canada