Doing Battle in Freedom's Causen: Henry Bibb, Abolitionism, Race

539 Pages·2001·29.08 MB·English

"Doing Battle in Freedom's Causen: Henry Bibb, Abolitionism,
Race Uplift,
and BIack Manhood, 1842-1854.
by
Afua Ava Pamela Cooper
A thesis submitted in confonnity with the requiffments for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Department of History, University of Toronto
Copyight by AlÙa A.P. Cooper, 2000
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YDoing Battle in Freedom's Causew:H en y Bibb, Aboiitiomtbm, Race UpüB,
and Black Manhood, 1842-1854.
f i aC ooper, Doctor of PhiIosophy, 2000
Graduate Department of History, University of Toronto.
Abstract
'Doing Battle in Freedom's Cause" is about the life and work of Henry Bibb,
Black abolitionist and civil rights advocate, in the United States and Canada,
fkom 1842 to 1854. It examines Bibb's activism as an antislavery lecturer and
writer, his role as a convention leader, his participation in political abolition, and
his work on the Underground Railroad. Bibb's founding of the Refûgee Home
Society, and the Voice ofthe Fugitive, Canada's nrst Black newspaper is also
explored. A central therne of my analysis is the role of women in Bibb's life. In
addition, this dissertation engages with the question of Black manhood and
rnasculinity. This work builds on the recently emerged scholarship on Black
abolitionism. This new scholarship seeks to highlight the profound impact that
the Black abolitionists made on the antislavery movernent. As 1 researched
Bibb's life, and engaged with some primary sources, 1 became dissatisfied with
the state of the history of AWcan Canadian abolitionism, and the existing
literature on Bibb.
"Doing Battle in Freedom's Cause3*is an original contribution to the
schoiarship on North Amencan Black history and abolitionism, and seeks to
restore Bibb to his rightfûl position as a formm champion of Black fieedom. It
breaks new ground in several salient ways. A separatist/integrationist fiamework
has charactenzed much of the history of Afncan-Canadian abolitionism. This
heworkh as been used uncntically in much of the exploration of Bibb's life.
This focus has served to distort and undennine Bibb's achievements. 1 have
cntiqued this interpretation and suggested new ways of looking at the ideology
and philosophy that infonned Bibb's thought and action and those of 0 t hB lack
abolitionists in North America, especially Canada 1h ave also proposeci that a
transborder perspective be applied to the study of Bibb's life. Bibb lived in both
the United States and Canada at different periods of his life, and went back and
forth across the Canadian/Amencan border in his antislave~yw ork and uplift
activities. His cornmitment to Black liberation did not stop at either side of the
border. The nation-state (whether Canada or the United States) therefore ploves
inadequate as an analyticd category for the study of the life of this abolitionist.
Bibb's own transnational identity draws attention to the transnational
subjectivities of his fellow border-crossing fican Americans.
Al1 praise and thanks are due to God (Allahu Akbar). My sincerest thanks to my
thesis supervisor, Franca Iacovetta for her wonderfiil support thmughout my
doctoral tenure, and for the supervision of my thesis. Her belief in my work made
this thesis possible; her good humour made the piocess an enjoyable one. The other
members of my doctoral cornmittee: Ruth Roach Pierson, Ian Radforth, Alison
Prentice, and Richard Blackett provided inspiring support, insightfbl critique,
wondefil advice, and intellechial engagement. niank you so much. Drafts of the
dissertation benefitted h m t he carefiil reading of all members of the wmmittee.
Their suggestions and editorial work led to a great improvement in the text.
Many other people, in multiple ways, supported me as I researched and
wrote this thesis. The memben of my immediate family, my partner Alpha Madiou
Diallo, and my children, Akil Cooper Powell, Lamarana and Habiba Cooper Diallo
provided love, numiring, food, shoulder massages, patience, time, good cheer, and a
host of other material, mental, and exnotional support This work is as much theirs
as it is mine. To you dl, my heartfelt thanks and love. Academic colleagues and
fnends, Barrington Waker, Catherine Carstairs, Margaret Maya Pon, Ibrahim
Abdullah, and Karolyn Smardz gave of theu tirne, advice, and wisdom. With
Walker and Carol B. Duncan 1e ngaged in many discussions on the state of Black
history. These discussions contributed to the shaping of my thoughts on several key
issues, especially those that pertain to gender, masculinity and mernory in Mcan
Canadian histoxy. Adneme Shadd, my fiend, colleague, and writing partner
provided invaluable support dong the journey.
iii
Others helped to bring this thesis to hition. The assistance that my mother
Ruth Cooper, my sisters Charmaine and Juiiet Cwper, and my brother Edward
Cooper, provided pushed this work to completion. Owen Burey, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, Windsor (Sandwich), Ontario, Keten Brathwaite, professor at the
University of Toronto, Althea Prince, Issa Abdul fIaq, Marsha Keisy, Michelie
Maragh, Hameed Shaqq, Sean Isaacs, Mohamed Drame, Niliakia and Aesha
Walker, Saada Awal-God, Tanice Lewis, Zeinab Warah, Sarnia Hashi, Lama
Patterson, Fetaw Sebhat, Rose Green, Haja Fanta Turay, al1 provided invaluable
material and spirituai resources which enabled me to produce this study.
A special thank you to Claire Smith of the Computing in the Hurnanities
and Social Sciences facility (CHASS), Robarts Library, University of Toronto, for
her good humour, wonderfiil patience and kindness. Elaine Genus and Jean
Stephenson of Access and Information, and Alison Paul of inter-Library Loan
department, Robarts Library, consistently gave of their encouragement and support.
Rudyard Fearon and Guy Ziebart, also of Robarts Library were generous with their
encouragement. A big thank you to Jennifer Francisco, Vicky Dingiilo, and Maxion
Hamis, members of the administrative staffat the History Department. And to the
poets who were my constant cornpanions dong the joumey: Rosario Castellanos,
Gwendolyn MacEwen, and Jatal ai-Din Rumi, my sincerest gratitude.
DEDICATION
I Dedicate this study to the memory of my father, Edward Samuel Cooper, my f%st histoiy
teac her
A note on terminology
The word Black is always capitalized unless 1 am using a quote in which it is not. Canada
West is used interchangeabiy with Upper Canada and Ontario. The province was named
Upper Canada in 1791 when it was carved out of old Quebec which became Lower
Canada. Upper Canada was changed to Canada West in 1841 when Lower and Upper
Canada becarne the 'ZTnited Province of Canada"; Lower Canada was renamed Canada
East. In 1867, at the time of the confederation of the older colonies, Canada West was
renamed Ontario. Lower Canada once âgain twk the name Quebec.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Dedication
A note on terrninology
Contents
Chapter 1:
Introduction. Unsilencing The Past :
A Discussion on Sources and Interpretation
Chapter 2: 42-106
Henry Bibb As An Antislavery Lecturer, 1842- 1850
Chapter 3: 107-15 2
"W ritten B y Himself ':
Bibb's Literary Contributions to Antislavery
Chapter 4: 153-202
Ot her Kinds of Activism:
Bibb As Underground Railroad Agent,
Convention Activist And Political Abolitionist
Chapter 5: 203-224
Canada West, The New Mission Ground:
The Setting
Chapter 6:
Land Ownership And Race Uplifi:
The Refugee Home Sûciety
Chapter 7: 299-399
The Voice Of The Fugitive And The
Begiming Of The African Canadian Press
Chapter 8: 4001475
The Women In Henry Bibb's Life
Chapter 9:
Afterword: August First Farewell
Bibliography 485-51 3
Appendices
1-25
Maps
1: Michigan. Bmce Canton. Michigan: a Bicentennial History (New York: W.W.
Norton, 1976), at the fiont of the book.
2-3: Essex County. Neil Morrison. Garden Gateway to Canada: One Hundred
Years of Windsor and Essex County (Toronto: Rymon Press, 1954), between
pages 38-39.
4: Upper Canada, 1841. Gerald M. Craig, Upper Canada: me Formative Years
(Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1963) 127.
5: Black Communities in Canada West. C. Peter Ripley, nie Black Aboiitioniîl
Papers, Vo. 2 (Chape1 Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1986) 2.
Photos
6: Henry Bibb. Courtesy of the University of Virginia Library-
http://gopher.lib.Virginia.edu/exhibits/b.
7: James Theodore Holly. Chris Dixon. Afi-ican America and Haiti: Emigration
and Black Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century. (Westport, Corn.: Greenwood
Press, 2000)' picture is at the fiont of the book.
8: Laura Haviland holding instruments of slave torture. Picture courtesy of the
Lenawee County Historical Society, Adrian, Michigan.
Newspaper Articles, and Letters.
9 : Henry Bibb to William Gatewood, 23 March 18 44. Black Abolitionist Papers
Microfilm, reel4: 0769.
10: "Gradua1 Emancipation." Bibb to Emancipator, 5 May 1847. BAP reel
S:O418.