Ontario's Historical Plaques
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Mary Ann Shadd Cary 1823-1893
and
Mary Ann Shadd (Cary) (1823-1893)
There are two plaques about this woman in The City of Chatham.
Both can be seen on this page.
Photos by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted September, 2011
Photo Source - Wikipedia
Plaque Location
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent
In Chatham, on the north side of King Street East
between Princess Street and Adelaide Street
Coordinates: N 42 24.364 W 82 10.535 |
 |
Plaque Text
African Americans came to Canada in increasing numbers after the United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. Some settled in segregated communities; others, like Mary Ann Shadd, promoted full integration into society. A teacher and anti-slavery crusader, Shadd immigrated to Windsor in 1851. She started the "Provincial Freeman" in 1853 to encourage Blacks to seek equality through education and self-reliance. Two years later she moved the newspaper to Chatham, where it operated for the rest of the decade. Widowed in 1860, Shadd Cary returned to the U.S. in 1863 to work for racial equality in the aftermath of emancipation. She was the first Black woman known to have edited a North American newspaper.
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2009
Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted September, 2011
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2009
Plaque Location
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent
In Chatham, just inside the Woodstock Institute Sertoma Help Centre
at 177 King Street East, west of Princess Street
Coordinates: N 42 24.366 W 82 10.491 |
 |
Plaque Text
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Mary Ann Shadd became a prominent activist in the Underground Railroad refugee communities of Upper Canada during the 1850s. Arriving in 1851, she taught refugee children and urged skilled Blacks to seek haven in Canada from the increasingly dangerous conditions in the United States. In 1853, Shadd established the Provincial Freeman, an influential newspaper which encouraged self-reliance and argued for the rights of Blacks and women. The paper waged war on slavery and bigotry, becoming the leading voice of the refugees in Canada.
Related Ontario plaques
The Provincial Freeman
The Underground Railroad in Canada
More
Information
More
Publishing
More
Black History
Other Plaques in Chatham
The Abolition Movement in British North America
Chatham Blockhouse 1794
David Mills 1831-1903
Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott 1837-1913
Emily Ferguson Murphy 1868-1933
Jean McKishnie Blewett 1862-1934
John Brown's Convention 1858
Kent County Court House
Old St. Paul's Church & Christ Church
The Provincial Freeman
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
Posted September 13, 2011
I am writing a Masters Research Paper on Mary Ann Shadd school. Do you know where I can access documentation on the school...did it have a name? I also wanted to know more about her argument on racial integration ssociated with her school?
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