Blackburn's Returned Favor

Thornton Blackburn, a former slave from Kentucky, escaped to Detroit with his wife Ruthie. However, they were recognized and faced the threat of being sent back to slavery. The Detroit black community rallied together and helped them escape. They eventually settled in Upper Canada with the protection of the Lieutenant Governor. Thornton and Ruthie went on to set up a successful business and used their earnings to provide affordable housing for newly arrived black families. Thornton was also involved in activism and played a role in the North American Convention of Colored Freemen. His story was rediscovered through an archaeological dig and serves as a reminder of resilience and community in the lives of black people. Escaping slavery in Kentucky to the free state of Detroit would set him and his wife free. However, the dream would only last a few years, until Thornton was recognized and jailed. The return to slavery was imminent, until the people from Detroit stood up against it. After making it to free Upper Canada, he helped many people settle after their long way through the Underground Railroad. Hello everyone, this is Palu, and I'd like to welcome you to another episode of The Promised Land, where we discuss about black figures that shaped Canada's history. In today's episode, we'll talk about Thornton Blackburn's journey to settle in Canada and how he helped others in their journeys. Thornton Blackburn was born into slavery in Maysville, Kentucky, and was separated from his mother at the early age of three. At 14, he was sold to Dr. Gideon Brown, who died only three years after Thornton's arrival. After the doctor's death, he was hired as a porter, where he would meet a beautiful black woman nine years older than him, named Ruthie. Thornton dreaded she would end up in a fancy girl market, so they escaped to Detroit with fake free African American papers, and successfully got away. One day, a white traveler from Kentucky recognized Thornton, and he got arrested for escaping. They were going to be sent back to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed owners to arrest and recover the people who were once their slaves and had escaped. The black community in Detroit did not like this, and around 200 armed black men and women struck the court room and helped the couple escape the uncurred trial. The coming together of the black community to help them is also known as the Blackburn Riots of 1833, which moved many black people around the world. The Blackburns then escaped to Upper Canada, where the Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Colborne, would protect them. He said the couple could not be sent back to Kentucky, since they would face unlawful punishments. The Blackburns were the first recorded case of black people tried under the Fugitive Offenders Act that came out free. In Toronto, Thornton and Ruthie set up the first horse-pulled cab, which gave them enough money to spend. They decided to use this money to build six houses that they would rent at only $2 a year to black families who had just arrived in Canada and were struggling to settle. Thornton was also an essential chairman in the North American Convention of Colored Freemen in 1851. This convention discussed many current issues, like the first response to the Fugitive Offenders Act. Thornton Blackburn's story was forgotten until archaeologists found a barn under a school playground in Toronto. This discovery was later converted into the first underground railroad dig in Canada. Although much information about him and Ruthie wasn't covered in the dig, many details are still missing. We hope that his story of resilience, courage, and community keeps spreading and reaching people since it significantly impacted the lives of free and enslaved black people.