About 4 years ago I began to write my first novel When the Fog Rolls In. I was inspired in the early 1990s when a plaque honouring the Coloured Corp was unveiled at the Brock Monument at Queenston Heights Ontario, Canada. I remember battling my internal skepticism at the time because Glory had been released in 1989 with great reviews; about an all black regiment from Massachusetts that fought in the Civil War, so I thought: is this another attempt by the little brother Canada tagging along with the familiar refrain, me too? Soon after, I began my own research into the Coloured Corp only to find an incredibly compelling and uniquely Canadian story all its own. By 1793 the British Government under King George allotted tracks of land to Loyalist Americans who were being terribly persecuted in New England, Pennsylvania and states like North Carolina in the South. Their new home would be known as Upper Canada, a fertile land along the back of Lake Ontario and wedged between Lake Erie to the south. (It is currently referred to as Ontario today.) Britain had maintained Upper Canada after losing its possessions in the newly formed United States. But little known evidence heretofore has surfaced that black slaves who were loyal to the British were among these pioneers and counted as Subjects of the King, freed citizens by decree. Now my interest is peeked. Black people had not only been freed by the British but they were encouraged to participate in all things British: they voted in the elections, many had their own businesses and farms, paid taxes like their white counterparts, and quite a few even had white wives. Yup, interracial marriage in Upper Canada by 1793. To seal the deal Lord Governor Simcoe passed The Act Against Slavery, an anti-slavery law passed on July 9, 1793 that banned any importation of slaves into Upper Canada and also stipulated that ...nor shall any Negro or other person who shall come or be brought into this Province after the passing of this Act be subject to the condition of a slave... in other words, once you crossed into Upper Canada you were free. Many of the British Colonists who settled in Upper Canada and the Yankee Loyalists were Abolitionists, hence the attempts to ban slavery and establish a safe haven. I admit at this point the revelation was fascinating but the lure of writing a story about it took ten years to finally envelop my conscience. I would on occasion envision a scene here or there, but then put it aside. To be quite honest, I didnt think I was qualified. Sadly I lost a job that I really enjoyed while working in Hamilton, in mid-2009 when the recession hit my company hard. On the drive back home the novel that I had successfully avoided flooded my mind so vividly I almost drove off the highway. I vowed then to buy a notebook from the Dollar Store, write some notes and see what happens. I was able to take a year and research this idea of mine, so I did. I figured a white guy in the 21st century writing about black folks from the early 19th century better research and make his assumptions accurate. I started by consulting with Wilma Morrison, a fine woman in her own right, who is descended from African-Americans who came to Canada in the early 1800s. She often volunteers at the St. Catharines Library piecing together the fragmented history of the black pioneers to Canada and their accomplishments. She was also one of the influential members to get the plaque unveiled for the Coloured Corp. So I was encouraged when she agreed to meet me. I arrived at the library with my note book ready to take notes and brought some other things along. She told me you need to read Benjamin Drew. I smiled and agreed I would, and went back to my note taking. That wasnt good enough for Wilma. She marched right over to the rows of books behind us and promptly returned with Benjamin Drew: A North-Side View of Slavery. The Refugee: or the Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada. Related by Themselves, with an Account of the History and Condition of the Colored Population of Upper Canada. She plopped it in front of me. I realized then that I had better stop note taking and read Benjamin Drew. It turned out to be a pivotal moment for me. There are over 100 eye-witness accounts from freed slaves in Canada recounting their stories and how they came to Upper Canada. I was spell-bound, shocked, disgusted by the cruelty they endured, but inspired enough to model several of my characters and their experiences from their accounts. Wilma Morrison has also become very supportive of my work and often asks about its progress and possible publishing. Next on the list of needed references was an expert on the British Army at the time and Wilma suggested I meet with Ron Dale, curator from Ft. George in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Not a bad idea since the Colored Corp formed there and served alongside the British. Ron Dale was fabulous. He proved to be very approachable and just as determined as me to get the military record straight. He offered great insight into military life, the equipment they had or lacked, the food they ate, and their duties alongside the British regulars. Ron provided one of the pictures I posted for this site, and a copy of a pay list for the The Coloured Corp from 1813. Not all the black settlers to Upper Canada came by way of the British efforts to settle this virgin land. The Quakers in Pennsylvania had their own version of the Slavery Abolishment Act in 1793. By 1810, frustrated by failed attempts to abolish slavery at the Federal level, they started the Underground Railroad. It was rudimentary in the beginning, smuggling only a few people out at a time. The Quakers were doing a good bit of trade and business with the South and were able to stealthily sneak people away without suspicion in the early days of the Underground Railroad. But I needed an expert on the Quakers since their beliefs were completely foreign to me. I began to try and find if there were any Quakers left and what I could learn from them. Fortunately I came across a Hicksite Quaker community in Sparta, Ontario still worshipping in their original Quaker Meeting House from the early 1800s. Jane Zavitz-Bond is not only a Quaker historian but a curator for the Quaker Museum. She invited me to her community, to worship with the Hicksites, and loaned me an original leather bound copy of the Quaker Disciplines from 1810. Precisely the year I needed as the Underground Railroad had commenced, this book gave me insight to their culture, like no other. It was as if a window to the past had opened. In telling the origins of the Coloured Corp I decided to end the story as the War of 1812 began, just after the Battle of Queenston Heights. This was done to end the story on a high note but also leave the possibility of a second book. The Battle of Queenston Heights was a fascinating event in itself. General Brock was fatally wounded that morning, October 13, about 10 am. Word was sent back to Ft George for more reinforcements. Captain John Norton, a British officer and Iroquois War Chief responded to the call. He arranged about 100 Six Nations Warriors and somehow procured the Coloured Corp, about 25 men at the time. They ran 7 miles south to Queenston Heights to engage an American force of 1,500 regular Army troops in an effort to pin them until the full British Army could be mustered. Now in telling this event I had to be fair to Native Americans or First Nations as they are called in Canada. Historically non-native accounts have often been inaccurate or unflattering. So I wanted to get their perspective and ensure that my portrayal of their ancestors was accurate and fair. In reading Captain Nortons notes he gives an account of a group of warriors called the Delaware. I had heard of the State of Delaware but drew blanks on his references. So I did what any modern researcher does, I Googled them. First hit, The Delaware Nation at Moraviatown precisely where Captain Norton said they were 200 years earlier. I called the chief and advised him of my intentions. He recommended I speak with Daryl Stonefish. Turns out Daryl is the library curator and historian for the Delaware people. Daryl Stonefish and I had quite a few informative and memorable conversations together. He told me about their history as having started out in what we now call the State of Delaware prior to contact with Europeans and how they endured their own Trail of Tears ending up in Ontario with land grants from the British. Daryl was also kind enough to loan me several scholarly resources on Delaware culture and history. They proved invaluable as I pieced together their culture and beliefs from the time. But more importantly I learned a profound respect for this First Nation, and their contribution to the founding of Canada while maintaining their own independence and identity. Last by not least one cannot overlook the Iroquois and their bravery during this tumultuous time. They too had arrived in Upper Canada in the 1790s with land grants from the British. But their 6 Nation Alliance was split with the Senecas, and Tuscaroras remaining in New York State. The War of 1812 proved to be a tight-rope act for them; If General Brock loses the Mohawk, Cayuga and Delaware at Brantford face elimination by an angry and vengeful American Army. If General Brock wins their brethren in New York face retaliation by an angry vengeful American Army. As it proved with Daryl Stonefish and the Delaware, I needed someone to verify that my usage of Mohawk terms and phrases were correct and fitting for the story. I was very lucky to come across Jeremy Green a Mohawk scholar who assisted me in this regard. He even came up with a name for one of my characters, a noteworthy contribution on his part which is greatly appreciated. So, why the blog you ask? Assuming you read this far. I am still not published despite the interest everyone shows when this topic comes up. Publishers often tell me that I am unknown and they dont want to take a risk. Others have criticized the content claiming historical fiction doesnt sell. My work should be scholarly, they say, non-fiction with a table of contents and a bibliography, etc. But no one reads those books they are boring to the mass public and only read by a few in those inner circles. Publishers I have found tend to be disconnected from the general public and I often struggle trying to convince them that a historical fiction adventure story is really what people want. So I am hoping you will like this page. The more likes I get maybe I can lobby more effectively with a potential publisher. Thanks for making it this far along the journey with me.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 19:29:07 +0000
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