Interracial Marriage in North America: a Case Study of Interracial Relationships in Chatham-Ontario 1901-1921
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University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Major Papers Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers February 2021 Interracial Marriage in North America: A Case Study of Interracial Relationships in Chatham-Ontario 1901-1921 Marsaydees Ferrell [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/major-papers Part of the African American Studies Commons, Canadian History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, and the Oral History Commons Recommended Citation Ferrell, Marsaydees, "Interracial Marriage in North America: A Case Study of Interracial Relationships in Chatham-Ontario 1901-1921" (2021). Major Papers. 164. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/major-papers/164 This Major Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers at Scholarship at UWindsor. It has been accepted for inclusion in Major Papers by an authorized administrator of Scholarship at UWindsor. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Interracial Marriage in North America: A Case Study of Interracial Relationships in Chatham-Ontario 1901-1921 By Marsaydees Ferrell A Major Research Paper Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Department of History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada 2021 © 2021 Marsaydees Ferrell Interracial Marriage in North America: A Case Study of Interracial Relationships in Chatham-Ontario 1901-1921 by Marsaydees Ferrell APPROVED BY: ____________________________________________ G. Teasdale Department of History ____________________________________________ M. Wright, Advisor Department of History January 12 ,2021 DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify that I am the sole author of this thesis and that no part of this thesis has been published or submitted for publication. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, my thesis does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright nor violate any proprietary rights and that any ideas, techniques, quotations, or any other material from the work of other people included in my thesis, published or otherwise, are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard referencing practices. Furthermore, to the extent that I have included copyrighted material that surpasses the bounds of fair dealing within the meaning of the Canada Copyright Act, I certify that I have obtained a written permission from the copyright owner(s) to include such material(s) in my thesis and have included copies of such copyright clearances to my appendix. I declare that this is a true copy of my thesis, including any final revisions, as approved by my thesis committee and the Graduate Studies office, and that this thesis has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other University or Institution. iii ABSTRACT This study investigates the practice and frequency of marriages amongst bi- racial couples in Chatham, Ontario between the years of 1901-1921. With the use of census, birth, marriage records, and oral interviews this study both highlights and analyzes the population density and settlement patterns of bi-racial couples settling in the Chatham area. This study emphasizes how external factors affected the population size and settlement patterns of these families. It also finds a gradual shift away from the use of terms indicating mixed-race heritage such as “mulatto” suggesting a hardening of racial lines. This gradual shift reflects power relations in regard to status as well as highlights evidence of racial fluidity and contradictions in racial labelling and identity during this time period. Research suggests that even in the absence of formal “miscegenation” laws, the study of interracial relationships can provide insight into the history of race relations in Canada. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Over the course of writing this paper, I have received a great deal of support and assistance from both faculty and colleagues in more ways than one. I would first like to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisor Dr. Wright. Thank you for all your support and guidance in completing my thesis. Your knowledge and suggestions of sources has been instrumental in helping me organize/refining my topic. Your expertise and patience has not gone unnoticed! I would also like to thank Dr. Lazure. Thank you for all your help with enrollment and encouragement throughout my time as a graduate student. I greatly appreciate how much you have helped refine my topic, formulate research questions and find sources for my thesis. In addition, I would like to thank my family and friends. I’m forever grateful for my parents, Connie and Robert, thank you for guiding and anchoring me through doubt, without your love and words of encouragement I could not have made it this far. Your love and resilience pushes me to be my best! I would like to thank my brother Julian for reassuring and believing in me. I couldn’t have done this without you or your unconditional love. And to all my friends who have supported and believed in me, thank you. Without your constant encouragement this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you for reminding me that I am Master Mar when I forgot. And lastly, I dedicate this paper to my Grandmothers Lorretta & Linda. I miss your presence daily but feel your love, support and guidance surrounding me constantly. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY .................................................................. iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 HISTORIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................... 4 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: .......................................................................... 17 Chatham’s Black Community .......................................................................... 17 MIXED-RACE MARRIAGES AND FAMILIES IN CHATHAM, ONTARIO .. 25 Analysis of Census Records and Oral Histories ............................................. 25 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 25 Analysis of Census Records and Oral Histories ....................................................................... 27 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 44 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 46 PuBlished Primary Sources and Figures ......................................................... 47 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 49 VITA AUCTORIS .................................................................................................. 53 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Entry 25: Neil and Emma. 1911 Census of Canada, Ontario ................... 49 Figure 2 Miscegenation Ball Anti- Lincoln political satire published in a New York Daily Newspaper, The World by Dimmel and Foster 186. ........................... 50 Figure 3 Andrew and Sarah Harding Marriage records Wayne County 1904 ........ 51 Figure 4 Death Records of Florence Harding ......................................................... 52 vii INTRODUCTION In North America, the historic reality of racial divisions and conflict has long been ignored by the wider, particularly white, population. Those who did acknowledge racism and ideas of racial inferiority saw it as a thing of the past. In mainstream historical studies, race relations within a North American context usually focussed heavily on slavery and the civil rights movement/ activism during the latter half of the 20th century. However, in 2020 the topic of race relations came to the forefront with a new sense of urgency. No longer neglected or viewed as an issue of the past, events in 2020 have established race relations in North- America as an urgent issue. Racial predatory policing of Black communities, unequal access to social mobility and unequal distribution of privilege and power has long been a conversation amongst Black communities and leaders. However, it was rarely discussed at a global level and it did not create such a powerful demand for change. Recent events such as the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two unarmed African Americans at the hands of American police officers intensified the conversation of race and power at a broader level. Resembling early historical events such as the beating of Rodney King in 1992 by four police officers, the events intensified the unrest of already frustrated African Americans and became the catalyst that sparked demonstrations throughout America, global anti-police brutality protest and with many countries acknowledging the inequality and oppression African Americans have and still face. These events not only reignited the Black Lives Matter Movement that was founded in 2013, it put a spotlight on the racial divide that has plighted North America since the civil rights movement. It called for a global revaluation of how race and power coincide with one