1709
King Louis XIV formally authorizes slavery in New France, thus laying the legal foundation for slavery in the colony.
1734
Marie-Joseph Angélique, a slave born in Portugal, is tortured and hanged in June for causing the fire that burned down a substantial portion of the city of Montreal.
1775-1783
The Thirteen Colonies wage the American War of Independence against Britain and form a new country called the United States of America (1776).
1783
The American Revolution ends and United Empire Loyalists – both white and Black – who wish to remain loyal to Britain move to Canada.
1790
An imperial statute allows Loyalists to enter Upper Canada from the United States without paying duty on their slaves if they obtain a licence from the Lieutenant Governor.
1793
Chloe Cooley, an enslaved woman in Upper Canada, is forced to cross the Niagara River when she is sold to a new owner in New York state. Her resistance leads to the passage of the 1793 Act limiting slavery in Upper Canada that prevents the importation of slaves and allows for the gradual emancipation of children of slaves born after this date.
1793
The first Fugitive Slave Law is passed in the United States, providing for the capture and return of runaway slaves.
18th century