Description

pp. xxv, (4), 450, b/w photographs, winner of the Governor General’s Award.   “In downtown Toronto in 1985, archaeologists uncovered remains of a house that had belonged to Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, fugitive slaves who settled in Canada in 1833 and later became successful business owners. Smardz Frost was part of the archaeology team and went on to undertake 20 years of research on the fascinating couple. In this richly detailed book, she recounts the perilous journey of the couple from Louisville, Kentucky, to prevent threat to their marriage by the imminent sale of Lucie. They were pursued to Michigan, where they were captured. Protest by Detroit’s black community halted the return of the Blackburns to Kentucky and set off the riots of 1833. The couple was spirited across the river to Canada, but Michigan’s governor demanded their extradition, setting in motion a legal and diplomatic battle between the U.S and Canada over the issue of fugitive slaves and firmly establishing Canada as the end point of the Underground Railroad. Smardz Frost’s fascination with her subject and love of detailed historical documentation are evident in this engrossing look at a couple who defied slavery with their escape and their assistance to other fugitive slaves.”