Diplomatic Racism Canadian Government and Black Migration from Oklahoma, 1905-1912
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Winter 1983 Diplomatic Racism Canadian Government And Black Migration From Oklahoma, 1905-1912 R. Bruce Shepard Administrative Analyst for the government of Saskatchewan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Shepard, R. Bruce, "Diplomatic Racism Canadian Government And Black Migration From Oklahoma, 1905-1912" (1983). Great Plains Quarterly. 1738. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/1738 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. DIPLOMATIC RACISM CANADIAN GOVERNMENT AND BLACK MIGRATION FROM OKLAHOMA, 1905"1912 R. BRUCE SHEPARD From the turn of the century until World War the Oklahoma and Indian Territories, and I, hundreds of thousands of American farmers began leaving for western Canada at the time migrated to western Canada.1 Not all of them these "Twin Territories" began preparing for were welcomed. Between 1905 and 1912, statehood in 1907. more than one thousand black men, women, The immediate cause of the migration was and children joined the trek. 2 They came racist legislation that Oklahoma aimed at blacks mainly from Oklahoma, and they settled in living in the state. Immediately after statehood Saskatchewan and Alberta. While their numbers was achieved in 1907, segregation legislation were small in comparison to the total American was passed that confined blacks to separate migration, the appearance of these black settlers schools, railroad cars, and seating on street aroused bitter race prejudice among western cars. The very first bill introduced in the new Canadians, many of whom demanded that the state House of Representatives was a "Jim Canadian government stop more blacks from Crow" measure, while in the state Senate it was coming. How the government went about this only the fourth. In 1910, the blacks' rights task is the subject of this article. were again cut back when their right to vote who were these black immigrants? They was taken away. Black Oklahomans reacted were ex-slaves and the descendants of former immediately to these laws by challenging them slaves who had moved westward from the in the courts and organizing protests. Some older Southern states following Reconstruc even turned to violence.4 Nothing worked, tion.3 These people settled in what were then however, and many began looking for a way out of Oklahoma. Segregation and disfranchisement were the key factors that sent the blacks toward Canada. An administrative analyst for the government of Saskatchewan, R. Bruce Shepard has a Jeff Edwards of Amber Valley, Alberta, claimed special interest in agricultural and immigra that he first became interested in western tion history. His articles have appeared in Canada when Oklahoma began its segregation Material History Bulletin, Canadian Native policies. The blacks who went north to eastern Law Bulletin, and other Canadian journals. Canada were fleeing slavery, he said; "We in 5 6 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY, WINTER 1983 Amber Valley are here because we fled some to one out of every two by 1900.8 In any thing almost as hard to bear-'Jim Crowism'." case, it takes only one literate person to read a One black emigrant group reached St. Paul, paper to a group of illiterates, and once word· of Minnesota, in March 1911 and said they had a movement starts, it spreads easily. Further been driven from Oklahoma by the theft of more, to take one example, the black Boley their property and the denial of their right to Progress, in which Canadian advertisements vote. They also said that there were five thou appeared, was distributed throughout the sand more blacks ready to follow them. These South in an effort to attract blacks to that sentiments were echoed by one member of a town. Therefore, blacks in other states could group of black Oklahomans who tried to enter have known of Canada's desire for settlers.9 Canada in British Columbia. Only two were The question then is not why only several admitted, and one was reported in Vancouver hundred blacks trekked to western Canada, as stating, "The people of Oklahoma treat us but what stopped several thousand from fol like dogs. We are not allowed to vote and we lowing them? The answer lies in the actions of are not admitted to any of the theatres or the government of Canada. public places. They won't even let us ride the In 1910 the Democratic party of Oklahoma street cars in some of the towns." When asked began a campaign to disfranchise the state's why they chose Canada, he answered, "We black citizens. This sent many more blacks heard about the free lands here and also that toward the Canadian border. Frank Oliver, the everyone had the right to vote and was a free Canadian minister of the interior, and thus the man."S man responsible for immigration, became so The black migrants learned about Canada by concerned with the developing black exodus reading their local newspapers. Before World that he sent his inspector of United States War I the government of Canada advertised agencies on a five-day trip to Oklahoma. The extensively in American newspapers, attempt minister received a letter on the issue in Sep ing to lure farmers to the Canadian plains. tember 1910.10 Even though the Canadian government did not Following this visit, the Canadian govern issue special promotional material for blacks, as ment took steps to try to halt the migration. it did for other American ethnocultural groups, It contacted its agent in Kansas City, who was advertisements for Canadian land filled black closest to the scene, and suggested that he con Oklahoma newspapers. The Canadian govern tact the postmasters of the towns stamped on ment appears to have contracted through a inquiries, asking whether the person writing press service· and may not have checked the end was black or white. The idea was that if the products too closely in its haste to attract agent could find out which writers were black, settlers. 6 he would not send immigration literature to These advertisements cast doubt on the argu them. Some of the postmastersl replies show ment that black farmers had no way of becom the state of race relations in Oklahoma at ing informed about Canada because they were the time; one from Keystone used the term poorly educated and often illiterate and that, "Nigger," while another from Hominy read, therefore, Canada was never especially attrac "black as hell." The border points of Emerson, tive to them. 7 In fact, the opposite was true Manitoba, and Portal, Saskatchewan, were also Canada was very attractive to the blacks, and alerted, and the agents told to examine any they could easily learn about it. blacks carefully, since the American agents Extensive advertising about Canadian settle were no longer issuing settlers' certificates to ment appeared in the black Oklahoma press. them. While it is true that Afro-Americans had a high When several black families appeared in Ed illiteracy rate, that rate had fallen from 1865, monton late in December 1910, Frank Oliver when only one in twenty could read and write, wanted to know who had let them in and DIPLOMATIC RACISM 7 whether they had been medically examined. On launched a vigorous and successful petition 5 January 1911, the minister got his answer. campaign in that city. They also contacted This group had gone from Oklahoma to Van other similar agencies, and by the end of May couver, on Canada's West Coast, and then up 1911, boards of trade across western Canada to Edmonton. The government immigration had all joined the Edmontonians in denouncing officers in Vancouver were then given the same the black immigration. Several chapters of the instructions as those at the other border cross United Farmers of Alberta also went on record ings. The Edmonton agent also got a telegram as favoring an end to the migration.14 This on 5 January, telling him to take action if he widespread public reponse was echoed in the could discover any reason for deporting any House of Commons in Ottawa. On 3 April of the immigrants and suggesting that he call 1911, William Thoburn, the Conservative mem in the city health officer if he suspected any ber for the Ontario riding of Lanark North, would not meet the physical qualifications.ll asked the minister of the interior whether the Clearly, the Canadian immigration authori government was prepared to stop the develop ties believed they could stop the influx by ing black influx and whether it would not be depriving the blacks of information. This preferable "to preserve for the sons of Canada, proved to be haphazard at best, so they tried the lands they propose to give to niggers?,,15 to use vigorous medical examinations at the While Ottawa tried to find a solution to its border as a deterrent. They even went so far dilemma, events in Oklahoma were forcing as to try to bribe the medical authorities. more blacks to try to escape. In 1911, their In the spring of 1911, the American consul condition was only too clear, especially after general in Winnipeg, John E. Jones, had to help an ugly lynching in May of that year. A black a group of his black countrymen enter Canada. mother and son, arrested for murdering a J ones later determined that the commissioner deputy sheriff, were taken from the Okemah of immigration for western Canada had offered jail, dragged to a railway bridge south of the the medical inspector a fee for every potential town, and hanged.