One Too Many: Enslavement of Africans in Early Ontario

06/02/2026

Looking forward to presenting at the Canadian Historical Association conference this week

04/20/2026

My latest article, my first with The Conversation Canada. Find it on their website:

03/25/2026

March 25 marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Learn about the Black men, women, and children who were enslaved in early Toronto on the walking tour I curated “Brought in Bo***ge: Black Enslavement in the Town of York.”

https://www.enslavedafricansinearlyontario.ca/Brought_in_Bo***ge_map.php

02/23/2026

Join us on February 24 for Natasha Henry-Dixon's lecture about George Martin. One of the few Black people enslaved in Upper Canada as a child, who gained their freedom. Learn more: https://museum.simcoe.ca/

02/23/2026

Teaching African Canadian History is developed under the directorship of Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon, an assistant professor of African Canadian History at York University. She is the award-winning author specializing in the history of the enslavement of Black people in colonial Canada, with several notable publications include Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (2010), The African Diaspora and African Canadian Firsts (2014). Grounded in research and designed as an open resource accessible for all, the project aims to inspires further research and the dissemination of Black Canadian histories.

Explore the vast resources at tach.natashahenrydixon.ca

02/14/2026

I'm honoured and excited to have had the opportunity to curate this new exhibit!

02/12/2026

Have you had a chance to read our seven new biographies by Natasha Henry-Dixon? These bios highlight a little-known chapter in Canadian history: enslavement in Upper Canada.

📖 Name Unrecorded: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/name_unrecorded_1802_3_5E.html
📖 Chloe Cooley: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/cooley_chloe_4E.html
📖 Henry Lewis: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/lewis_henry_4E.html
📖 Peggy: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/peggy_6E.html
📖 Peter Martin: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/martin_peter_5E.html
📖 George Martin: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/martin_george_7E.html
📖 John Baker: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/baker_john_10E.html

Read a topic summary and more related bios here: https://www.biographi.ca/en/topics/topic-match-list.php?id=2485

02/12/2026

Happy to share the update of my website Teaching African Canadian History!

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of , we’re excited to highlight the launch of one of Walk With Web’s 2026 projects, Teaching African Canadian History by Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon (York University / York University - Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies).

This new website and blog offers a comprehensive range of resources on Black history in Canada and the African Diaspora, including books, articles, primary and secondary sources, lesson plans, events, historical sites, and media such as podcasts, films, and videos.
As we reflect on this month, remember that people of African descent have shaped Canada’s social, cultural, and political history since the 1600s and that this history deserves to be recognized and honoured year-round, not only during Black History Month.

Visit the website at tach.natashahenrydixon.ca

10/02/2025

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon to present on her talk "The Reaches of Slavery in British North America with Connections to Prince Edward County" on Wednesday, October 15th at 6pm. The talk will take place at 23 Church Street, Picton in Macaulay Heritage Park.

About the presentation: Racial chattel slavery was a fundamental part of the colonial economic and social systems of the Atlantic world, including British North America. Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon will discuss her research on the many links to slavery, highlighting connections in Upper Canada and Prince Edward County.

Admission is free, but early registration is encouraged. Contact Jessica Chase at 613-476-2148 ext. 2524, or [email protected] to register.

This event is sponsored by All Welcome Here, The Royal and The County Museums.

08/23/2025

It was a pleasure to be the lead researcher for this informative exhibit. Remembering those enslaved in Canada and the possibility of freedom that Canada offered today on the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (August 23rd).

The Act to Limit Slavery, passed on July 9, 1793, legally acknowledged slavery and marked an important step toward abolition, but it did not free enslaved people residing in what is now Ontario.

Visit our online exhibit, Slavery and Abolition in Upper Canada, to learn more about the often-overlooked history of slavery in our province: https://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/enslavedafricans/index.aspx



[An Act to Prevent the further Introduction of Slaves and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude (Statutes of Upper Canada, 33 George III, Cap. 7, 1793)]