Amherstburg Freedom Museum, previously known as 'the North American Black Historical Museum', is located in

Amherstburg Amherstburg is a town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In 1796, Fort Malden was established here, stimulating growth in the settlement. The fort has been designated as a National Historic Site. The town is ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. It is a community-based, non-profit museum that tells the story of African-Canadians' history and contributions. Founded in 1975 by local residents, it preserves and presents artifacts of African-Canadians, many of whose ancestors had entered Canada as refugees from United States slavery. They found it relatively easy to enter Canada from across the Detroit River. Although Michigan was a free territory and state, many refugee slaves continued to settle in Canada in order to be beyond the reach of the US Fugitive Slave Acts. The Museum complex which houses permanent and temporary exhibits, and consists of the museum building, the Taylor Log Cabin-a historic home from that period, and Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church, National Historic Site.

Founding

The museum was founded by Betty and Melvin "Mac" Simpson, a local couple, and officially incorporated in 1975. Their vision was to promote the rich heritage of African Canadians, many of whose ancestors had come as refugees from slavery in the United States. In 2015, the North American Black Historical Museum celebrated its 40th anniversary. It has since changed its name to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, to emphasize its connection to people seeking freedom.

Nazrey A.M.E. Church

This African Methodist Episcopal church was built by hand of fieldstone by former slaves and free blacks in 1848. They were members of a congregation established in 1826 by African-American refugees. The AME denomination was founded in the United States in the early 19th century by free blacks in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

as the first independent black denomination in that country. Members aided other refugee slaves from the United States by using it as a stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

. It was associated with Bishop Willis Nazery, the first leader of the

British Methodist Episcopal Church The British Methodist Episcopal Church (BMEC) is a Protestant church in Canada that has its roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) of the United States. History The AMEC had been formed in 1816 when a number of black congregations ...

, a denomination established by Underground Railroad (UGRR). This wholly Canadian denomination was expressive of the refugees' allegiance to their new homeland."Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site of Canada"
Canada's Historic Places The church was designated as a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

in December 1998. The building was restored and reopened in 2001 as part of the museum complex.

Programming

Today, visitors from all over the world can tour the Museum, including the Taylor Log Cabin and Nazrey A.M.E. Church, both buildings from the time of the

before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The Museum provides annual cultural events including

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

programming, Ribs & Ragtime, the

Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranch ...

Celebration and Charity Golf Classic, and Christmas at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum.

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and

Virtual Museum of Canada The Digital Museums Canada (DMC; , ''MNC'') is a funding program in Canada "dedicated to online projects by the museum and heritage community," helping organizations to build digital capacity. Administered by the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) ...

References

External links