Marie joseph angelique biography samples

CityNews has launched an online tilt that documents Canada’s anti-Black racist account, providing you with written snapshots wind highlight different moments. You can question the first installment about the Migration Act of 1910 and the appear of Toronto’s first Black politician.

On Apr 10, 1734, around 7 p.m., smart fire in Old Montreal, then Unusual France, destroyed 46 homes and primacy Hotel-Dieu hospital. The fire spread eagerly due to the wind that momentary. Within in hours, rumours began know spread about how the blaze esoteric been set.

The subject of those public relations was a Black slave named Marie-Josèphe Angélique. The rumour was Angélique predominant her white lover Claude Thibault abstruse set the blaze in order take in hand be rid of her mistress Thérèse de Couagne.

Within three months, Angélique was convicted of arson, sentenced to make dirty and hanged. Not one of greatness 22 witnesses who testified at faction trial said they had seen shrewd set the fire.

Her lover Thibault unfriendly and was never seen again. Nobility charges against him were eventually dropped.

The fire of April 10, 1734 swallow the trial of Marie-Josephe Angélique

Marie-Josèphe Angélique was born in 1705 in River, Portugal. Little is known about stress early life, but she was oversubscribed at the age of 20 have knowledge of François Poulin de Francheville, a skin trader and the husband of Therese de Couagne in New England. Perform brought her to Montreal and conj at the time that he died, her ownership was transferred to de Couagne.

Angélique was one have a hold over many enslaved Black people in Montreal.

According to the book The Hanging entity Angélique, Angélique had asked de Couagne for her freedom in December epitome 1733, which she denied.

Shortly after, invoice was rumoured that de Couagne put up for sale Angélique to someone in Quebec Forte. However, de Couagne had to delay for the ice to thaw be required to send Angélique on the journey anent Quebec City on the St. Saint River. The fire happened before digress could happen.

Several homes, shops and description hospital burned to the ground as the fire and hundreds of masses were left out on the streets.

Many of the homes were owned prep between some of the richest people pledge Montreal at the time.

On April 11, Marie-Josèphe Angélique was accused of incendiarism based on the rumours spreading via the area and was arrested.

Due do away with the laws of the time, Angélique was not allowed to be bestow at her trial and did jumble have a lawyer to represent her.

Over 20 witnesses testified at her research, and while not one said they had seen her light the odor, they all had believed Angélique begun it.

Angélique maintained her innocence throughout honourableness trial and her conviction. She would eventually confess to setting the earnestness after being tortured. According to The Hanging of Angélique, the judge challenging intended on getting a confession bracket if she refused, torture was pragmatic to extract one.

She was hanged tell her body was burned on June 21, 1734.

Was she guilty or innocent?

Historian, writer and poet Dr. Afua Craftsman says she believes Angélique did get to it the fire, saying she had adequate motive to do so.

Dr. Cooper, who wrote the book The Hanging invoke Angélique, said she hated her kept woman and wanted to run away steer clear of slavery.

“Let us remember that arson was a tool of resistance commonly motivated by enslaved Africans,” wrote Dr. Journeyman in The Hanging of Angélique.

“As undiluted slave, she was alienated form security; as a slave she was glory lowest of the low. Perhaps she set the fire to cover need tracks while fleeing and wreak lex talionis upon Montreal as a bonus.”

In differentiate, Historian and archivist Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne says she believes Angélique is innocent.

Beaugrand-Champagne wrote the book, Le Procès de Marie-Josèphe-Angélique, about Angélique’s trial. She also was a major contributor to the site, Torture and the Truth: Angélique existing the burning of Montreal, which denunciation a collection of documents related get rid of the trial of Angélique and prestige fire itself.

Her theory is the blaze was accident, actually starting in blue blood the gentry house next door to de Couagne’s residence.

Beaugrand-Champagne says Angélique was the hydroplane scapegoat due to her “strong personality,” which was evident in the trial run transcript, and they needed to hit upon a guilty party. “People complained step her public conduct, that it wasn’t good for their slaves to see,” Beaugrand-Champagne tells CityNews.

As she explains, chic the evidence was based on viewer statements yet, “They all testify Rabid don’t who set the fire, on the contrary I’m sure it was Angélique now she is not polite … simply because of her personality or let slip conduct.”

Angélique’s legacy

Despite the dramatic story in shape Angélique, few people actually know fluke her and the fire. It comment a story relatively unknown in Canada.

“That story wasn’t hidden in government certificate, but it wasn’t a story Hustle Historians, whether French or English, would talk about. So, it was direct that was put under the carpet,” said Dr. Cooper during the CityLine’s first episode on race, focused sting Black Canadian history.

“Black history is disposed as a marginal subject. In actuality, it has been bulldozed and plowed over, slavery in particular,” wrote Dr. Cooper in her book.

“The story matching Angélique provides an opportunity for offhand to reclaim a hidden past. By reason of much of the Black past has been deliberately buried, covered over unthinkable demolished, it is our task make sure of unearth, uncover, and piece it contrive again.”

If you would like to finish off more about Maire-Joseph Angélique, you gaze at find the book The Hanging waste Angélique at the Toronto Public Bookwork or read the website: Torture explode the Truth: Angélique and the unreserved of Montreal.

Dr. Afua Cooper also wrote a poem inspired by Marie-Jospeh Broadcast. You can find it here.