Topographical Township Map of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Dublin Core
Title
Topographical Township Map of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Description
This map shows the land divisions, settlements, and waterways of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia—including the area around Birchtown. Founded in 1783 by Black Loyalists, Birchtown would go on to become the largest free Black community in colonial Canada. This settlement was named as such in honour of General Samuel Birch, who contributed to the Book of Negroes and signed the passports of Black Loyalists, allowing them to get to Nova Scotia safely.
Displaying this map shows that free Black settlements were neither temporary nor informal: they were planned and recorded, lasting for decades after the abolition. Additionally, the existence of a settlement established by Black Loyalists for Black Loyalists shows that their struggle for agency in a new world was rooted in geography as much as it was rooted in identity.
Displaying this map shows that free Black settlements were neither temporary nor informal: they were planned and recorded, lasting for decades after the abolition. Additionally, the existence of a settlement established by Black Loyalists for Black Loyalists shows that their struggle for agency in a new world was rooted in geography as much as it was rooted in identity.
Creator
A.F. Church & Co
Source
Church, A.F., & Co. Topographical Township Map of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia. 1882. Nova Scotia Archives. https://archives.novascotia.ca/africanns/archives/?ID=68
Publisher
Nova Scotia Archives
Date
1882
Rights
Public Domain
Type
Map
Files
Citation
A.F. Church & Co, “Topographical Township Map of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia,” Black Canadian History Exhibit, accessed December 5, 2025, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/mathieu-black-canadian-history-exhibit/items/show/175.