Birchtown, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Birchtown is a community in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
, located near Shelburne
in the Barrington Municipal District
of Shelburne County
. Founded in 1783, it is famous as the largest settlement of Black Loyalists and was the largest free settlement of Africans in North America in the 18th Century. (Another smaller settlement of Black Loyalists in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
was also called Birchtown.) Both communities were named British Brigadier General
Samuel Birch, an official who assisted in the evacuation of Black Loyalists from New York
.
in 1792 lived first in Birchtown. Most Birchtown blacks entered Nova Scotia
through the nearby town of Port Roseway
soon renamed Shelburne
. Many of these African settlers were recorded in the Book of Negroes
. They were issued passports which established their freedom signed by General Birch, known as General Birch Certificates. The core of the settlement were five companies of the Black Pioneers
who were Black Americans who helped the British
forces during the American War of Independence. Over two thirds of the Blacks who immigrated to Canada were from the American South. Birchtown was acknowledged as being the largest settlement of free African Americans in the world by newspapers in New York
and in London
.
600 were from the Birchtown and Digby
areas, 220 were from Preston
, 200 were from New Brunswick
, and 180 were from the Annapolis
-Digby area. Fifty five had been born in Virginia
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, located near Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
in the Barrington Municipal District
Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington is a municipal district in western Shelburne County, Nova Scotia.Barrington forms the southernmost part of the province and contains Cape Sable, the eastern boundary between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine.- Demographics :...
of Shelburne County
Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Shelburne County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Shelburne County was founded in 1784 shortly following the influx of Loyalist settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America...
. Founded in 1783, it is famous as the largest settlement of Black Loyalists and was the largest free settlement of Africans in North America in the 18th Century. (Another smaller settlement of Black Loyalists in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Taking its name from the Township of Guysborough, which was named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Guysborough County was created when Sydney County was divided in 1836.In 1840, the Township of St. Mary's, in Guysborough...
was also called Birchtown.) Both communities were named British Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Samuel Birch, an official who assisted in the evacuation of Black Loyalists from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Creation
Birchtown was the major settlement area of the African Americans known as Black Loyalists who escaped to the British during the American War of Independence. These were Africans who escaped from slavery in the American South and fought for the British during the war. The majority of Nova Scotian settlers who later immigrated to Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
in 1792 lived first in Birchtown. Most Birchtown blacks entered Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
through the nearby town of Port Roseway
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
soon renamed Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
. Many of these African settlers were recorded in the Book of Negroes
Book of Negroes
The Book of Negroes is an important historical document which records names and descriptions of 3,000 African-American slaves who escaped to the British lines during the American Revolution and were evacuated by the British by ship to points in Nova Scotia as freedmen.-Background:African Americans...
. They were issued passports which established their freedom signed by General Birch, known as General Birch Certificates. The core of the settlement were five companies of the Black Pioneers
Black Pioneers
The Black Pioneers were an African American regiment established in May 1776 out of Lord Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment. Famous American slaves such as Thomas Peters were Black Pioneers...
who were Black Americans who helped the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
forces during the American War of Independence. Over two thirds of the Blacks who immigrated to Canada were from the American South. Birchtown was acknowledged as being the largest settlement of free African Americans in the world by newspapers in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The Departure for Sierra Leone
Poor land, inadequate supplies and broken promises of assistance led many Birchtown residents to petiton the British Government for a remedy, led by Thomas Peters. These grievances led to many Birchtown residents joining a 1792 migration to found a free African settlement in Sierre Leone. The majority of blacks who left for Sierra Leone were from Birchtown. Of the blacks who left for Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
600 were from the Birchtown and Digby
Digby, Nova Scotia
Digby is a Canadian town in western Nova Scotia. It is the shiretown and largest population centre in Digby County.The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy.Named after Admiral Robert Digby, RN,...
areas, 220 were from Preston
Preston, Nova Scotia
Preston is an area in central Nova Scotia, Canada in the Halifax Regional Municipality, located on Trunk 7. The population in 2006 was 2,360 including East Preston and North Preston....
, 200 were from New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and 180 were from the Annapolis
Annapolis County, Nova Scotia
Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal.-History:...
-Digby area. Fifty five had been born in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Later history
Although the population of Birchtown was greatly reduced by the migration to Sierra Leone, many settlers remained and formed the basis of the African Nova Scotian population of Shelburne County today. Employment in the nearby town of Shelburne led many families for move to Shelburne in later years. Birtchtown remained a small rural community of a few hundred based on farming, fishing and forestry. Birchtown was declared a National Historic Site in 1997. A seasonal museum complex commemorating the Black Loyalists opened in that year by the Black Loyalist Heritage Society and included the historic Birchtown school and church. The offices and archives of the museum were largely destroyed by an arson attack in 2008 and the remaining archives were moved to temporary quarters on the site. Plans are underway for a major expansion of the museum,which would tell the story of the Black Loyalists in America, Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone.Notable residents
- David George (Baptist)David George (Baptist)David George was an African-American Baptist preacher and a Black Loyalist from the American South who escaped to British lines, accepted transport to Nova Scotia and eventually resettled in Freetown, Sierra Leone....
-African American BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher who founded Silver Bluff Baptist ChurchSilver Bluff Baptist ChurchThe Silver Bluff Baptist Church in Aiken County, South Carolina, was founded by several enslaved African Americans who organized under elder David George in 1773-1775.... - Moses WilkinsonMoses WilkinsonMoses 'Daddy' Wilkinson or Old Moses was an African American slave, and Methodist preacher in Nova Scotia, and Sierra Leone. Wilkinson was the main leader of the Methodists, and his congregation followed him to Sierra Leone where they established the first Methodist church in Settler Town, Sierra...
- was an African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Methodist preacher - John MarrantJohn MarrantJohn Marrant was one of the first African-American preachers and missionaries. He wrote three books about his experiences as a preacher.-Early life and career:...
- was the first African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
preacher; was a Methodist
External links
- Birchtown on Destination Nova Scotia
- The Black Loyalist Heritage Society
- http://www.newsouthassoc.com/African%20American%20Archaeology%20Newsletters/Summer1994.html
- http://www.lawrencehill.com/freedom_bound.pdf
- http://nsgna.ednet.ns.ca/shelburne/main/BlackLoyalistHistory.php
- http://museum.gov.ns.ca/arch/sites/birch/loyalists.htm