Craig Baird
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thread 1/9
It is #BlackHistoryMonth and I am looking at the Black Canadians who have made an impact on Canada's history, both pre-and-post Confederation.

Today, it is Chloe Cooley!

Not much is known about Chloe's early life. She was an enslaved woman who lived in the late-18th century.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 2/9
The man who enslaved her was Benjamin Hardison, of what is now Fort Erie, Ontario.

He was a member of the Legislative Assembly, and a prominent farmer in the area.
In 1793, Hardison sold Chloe to Adam Vrooman.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 3/9
Vrooman believed that due to growing anti-slavery sentiment, he would be forced to free Chloe. Rather than do that, he chose to sell her to an American across the Niagara River.

On March 14, 1793, he beat Chloe and tied her up. Then he threw her in a boat and rowed her across the river.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 4/9
She screamed for help as he took her to the United States.

Peter Martin, a Black Loyalist who had served with Butler's Rangers in the American Revolution with Vrooman saw the commotion. He ran and got William Grisley, who also witnessed the incident.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 5/9
Grisley made a report to the Executive Council of Upper Canada. Nothing is known about Chloe after she reached the United States.

The Executive Council of Upper Canada brought charges against Vrooman for disturbing the peace but these were later dropped.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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Lt. Governor John Simcoe was outraged over the incident. As an abolitionist, he wrote up the Act Against Slavery to outlaw slavery in Upper Canada.
At the time, 12 members of the 25-person Legislative Assembly were slave-holders.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 7/9
Eventually, the Act was watered down so that it didn't outlaw slavery but banned the importation of enslaved peoples. It also freed anyone born into slavery at the age of 25.
It still allowed the sale of enslaved peoples across the border into the United States.

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 8/9
The last known sale of enslaved peoples in Canada took place in 1824. In 1833, slavery was outlawed in the British Empire.

In 2022, a Heritage Minute was created to tell the story of Chloe Cooley. You can watch it here:
https://youtube.com/watch?...

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Heritage Minute: Chloe Cooley - YouTube

This Heritage Minute follows Chloe Cooley, an enslaved Black woman in Upper Canada in 1793. Her acts of resistance in the face of violence led to Canada’s fi...

02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 9/9
Also in 2022, Chloe Cooley was named a National Historic Person. One year later, a stamp was issued to honour her.

If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at https://buymeacoffee.com/c...

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02:28 PM - Feb 01, 2024
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