Canadian Military History Volume 18 Issue 3 Article 5 2009 Upper Canada’s Black Defenders? Re-evaluating the War of 1812 Coloured Corps Gareth Newfield Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Gareth Newfield "Upper Canada’s Black Defenders? Re-evaluating the War of 1812 Coloured Corps." Canadian Military History 18, 3 (2009) This Canadian War Museum is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. : Upper Canada’s Black Defenders? Re-evaluating the War of 1812 Coloured Corps Upper Canada’s Black Defenders? Re-evaluating the War of 1812 Coloured Corps Gareth Newfield ith the approach of the updated editions of certain seminal like Richard Pierpoint (a former slave Wbicentennial of the War of 1812, histories tend to touch briefly – if from Africa and veteran of Butler’s renewed attention is being devoted at all – upon its service as a labour Rangers) had fought for or sought to Canadian units that served in the corps later in the war.1 More recently, the protection of the British Crown, conflict. Amongst these may certainly historians seeking to correct “a thereby gaining their freedom. be counted the Coloured Corps. The shamefully overlooked chapter” have Dissatisfied by the emergence of lone all-Black unit engaged in Upper inadvertently misinterpreted sources slavery in Upper Canada, Lieutenant- Canada (today Ontario), the primary while attempting to emphasize its Governor John Graves Simcoe sought theatre of war, its service has become accomplishments as a combat unit.2 to abolish the institution in 1793.