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The Maroons were a group of African Americans. They were mixed with indigenous cultures and had formed distinct creole cultures such as the Garifuna and Mascogos. The Maroons had formed settlements to escape from slavery and after centuries of battling for freedom and attempts to re-enslave them, they had landed at Halifax where they helped build the Citadel Hill and were employed as general laborers.

The Maroons had gotten the name "Maroons" from the Spanish word "cimarrón" which means wild or untamed, usually referring to runaways, castaways, or the shipwrecked; those marooned probably would never return. Therefore, Maroons would scavenge as runaways, raid plantation owners for weapons and food, burn the plantations, and lead freed slaves to join their mountain communities.

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The "Colored Troops" & The War Of 1812 (1812)

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The "Colored Troops" & The War Of 1812 (1812)

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The United States faced the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in the War of 1812, caused by British restrictions on U.S. trade and America's desire to expand its territory.

The United States War Department created the colored troops to recruit, organize, and oversee the service of African American soldiers during the American Civil War. All non-combat functions that sustain an army were carried out by black soldiers, including artillery and infantry (Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause).

It was in the film Glory that two-thirds of the officers and half of the troops of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers were lost in an assault on Fort Wagner, SC, in July 1863. The Medal of Honor was awarded for valor to 16 black soldiers by the end of the war.

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Between the early and mid-19th centuries, the Underground Railroad established a network of safe houses and secret routes in the United States. It was set up by Isaac T. Hopper in the early 1800s to help enslaved Africans escape without being caught. This escape route came to an end when slavery was abolished in 1865 but the memories still last. It had helped 100,000 enslaved people to freedom and over time the name "Underground Railroad" had developed and stuck.

The Underground Railroad got its name "because they who took passage on it disappeared from public view as really as if they had gone into the ground."- John Rankin. So it's not an actual railroad, and it's not actually underground it was simply just used as a metaphor.

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British Parliament Abolished Slavery (1833)

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British Parliament Abolished Slavery (1833)

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Slavery was abolished in many British colonies in 1833 in an act of parliament and ended up freeing over 800,000 enslaved Africans from the Caribbean and South Africa, as well as a few from Canada.

The abolishment was to free Africans from enslavement as blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, bakers, or other tradespeople. and instead we promoted individual freedom like "free labor." This meant that people were paid for their work rather than enslaved.

The Benefits of abolishing slavery had made America a much more productive, and hence richer country. That's because former slaves would now be classified as "labor," thereby increasing the labor stock dramatically, even on a per capita basis.

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The First Black Woman Elected To Parliament (1993)

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The First Black Woman Elected To Parliament (1993)

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Jean Augustine was the first black woman elected to parliament in 1993.

Jean's first job was as a teacher however, she had to work as a domestic and shoe clerk before earning her Ontario Teacher's Certificate. After earning a Master of Education degree, Ms.

After being a teacher, Jean would soon she would get elected in the 1993 federal election and become the first black woman to get elected to parliament to the House of Commons. She served three terms as Chair of the National Liberal Women's Caucus until 2003. Jean is now 84 and has made history.

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Lincoln Alexander was elected Canada's first Black MP and the first black Canadian member of Parliament.

Lincoln was born on January 21, 1922, and over his years Lincoln had battled for racial equity in Canada. On October 19, 2012, Lincoln Alexander passed away, and since 2015, 21 January we now celebrate Lincoln Alexander Day to remember the history he made, and in recognition of his many achievements.