A historical survey which covers all aspects of the black experience in Canada, from the introduction of slavery in 1628 to the first wave of Caribbean immigration in the 1950s and 1960s. Using an array of primary and secondary materials, the author details the diverse experiences of black immigrants to Canada, including black slaves brought to Nova Scotia and the Canadas by Loyalists at the end of the American Revolution, black refugees who fled to Nova Scotia following the war of 1812, Jamaican Maroons, and fugitive slaves who fled to British North America. He also looks at black West Coast businessmen who helped found British Columbia, particularly Victoria, and black settlement in the prairie provinces. Throughout, the author explores efforts by African-Canadians to establish and maintain meaningful lifestyles in Canada. This volume investigates the French and English periods of slavery, the abolitionist movement in Canada, and the role played by Canadians in the broader continental anti-slavery crusade, as well as Canadian adaptations to 19th- and 20th-century racial mores.