Peters was a prominent leader and influential spokesperson for Black Loyalists in late-18th-century Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
February 15, 2023 Gatineau, Quebec Parks Canada
National historic designations illustrate the defining moments in the story of Canada. They tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, each other, and our country. Thomas Peters (c. 1738-1792) escaped enslavement in North Carolina to fight for the British during the American Revolutionary War. Following the war, he became a prominent leader and influential spokesperson for Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Thomas Peters as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration.
A West African-born Yoruba man, Peters escaped enslavement on a North Carolina plantation in 1776. He joined the Black Pioneers in New York and rose to the rank of sergeant while fighting on the side of Britain during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). After the war, Peters, along with his wife and children, were among the estimated 3,500 Black Loyalists that the British evacuated to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Peters became a prominent leader and influential spokesperson for the Black Loyalists who were frustrated and deceived about the conditions of their postwar resettlement in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Peters fought tirelessly to get British officials to fulfill promises made to Black Loyalists, eventually travelling to London, England, to make an impassioned appeal for justice, racial equality, and land. While in London, he learned that the Sierra Leone Company was looking to establish a permanent settlement of formerly enslaved people of African descent from the Americas. Peters recruited roughly one-third of the estimated 1,196 people of African descent who relocated to Sierra Leone and founded the settlement of Freetown. There, he continued to advocate for land, liberty, and self-rule until his death in 1792.
National historic designations encourage us to acknowledge the experiences, struggles, and conflict that have shaped Canada, and help us reflect on how to build a more inclusive society for today and future generations. The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes nationally significant persons, places, and events as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and awareness of Canada's rich and complex heritage.
