Thornton and Lucy Blackburn
Thornton and Lucie Blackburn were significant figures in the 19th-century struggle against slavery and played pivotal roles in the establishment of Toronto's first successful taxi service. Thornton was born into slavery in 1812 in Kentucky and, along with Lucie, escaped to Detroit in 1831. Their journey to freedom was fraught with challenges, including a near return to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act, from which they were liberated through the actions of community supporters and legal protections in Upper Canada, where slavery was outlawed.
After settling in Toronto, the Blackburns leveraged their experiences to contribute positively to their community. Thornton created a pioneering taxi service that revolutionized public transportation in the city, demonstrating his ingenuity despite being illiterate. The couple was also deeply involved in social justice efforts, assisting other former slaves and participating in abolitionist movements, including the North American Convention of Colored Freemen.
Their legacy is commemorated through various honors, including designation as Persons of National Historic Significance in Canada. Both Thornton and Lucie were buried in Toronto's Necropolis Cemetery, leaving behind a story that continues to inspire discussions about freedom, community service, and the fight against oppression.
Thornton and Lucy Blackburn
Abolitionists; entrepreneurs
- Born: 1812 (Thornton)
- Birthplace: Maysville, Kentucky (Thornton)
- Died: February 26, 1890 (Thornton); February 6, 1895 (Lucie)
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Also known as: Thornton and Ruth Blackburn
Significance: Escaping slavery in Louisville, Kentucky, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn settled in Detroit, Michigan, for two years before being caught and jailed. Mounting a daring escape into Canada, the Blackburns started Toronto’s first cab company and became prominent activists for abolition.
Background
Thornton Blackburn was born into slavery in 1812 in Maysville, Kentucky. At the age of three, Blackburn was taken from his mother, Sibby, and sold to a family in a nearby town. He learned at a young age how to care for horses and maintain carriages. He was sold several more times as a teenager, ending up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he later met his wife, Lucie Blackburn. In 1831, they escaped slavery and fled to Detroit, Michigan. They lived in Detroit until 1833, when they were caught by slave hunters from Kentucky.
The Blackburns were then jailed for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and were to be sold back into slavery. The day before the couple was to be returned to Kentucky, Lucie was able to switch places in jail with a woman named Mrs. French who visited her. She was then transported across the Detroit River to Upper Canada, a province encompassing most of what would later become Ontario. Slavery had been outlawed in the province, though it had not yet been abolished throughout the country.
Shortly afterward, a riot broke out among Detroit’s African American community, and when Thornton was taken from the jail to be returned to Kentucky, armed protestors outside the jail rushed his guards and freed him. Upon his arrival in Essex County, Thornton was briefly jailed, as the Michigan territorial governor requested his extradition back to the United States for trial. However, the lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, Major General Sir John Colborne, refused to extradite Thornton to the United States on the grounds that the punishment—a lifetime of slavery—was worse than anything Canada would impose for a noncapital crime.
Life’s Work
Thornton and Lucie lived in Amherstburg until 1834, when they moved to the newly incorporated city of Toronto. Thornton soon found work as a waiter at Osgoode Hall and the Blackburns constructed a home on what are now the grounds of the old Sackville Street School. While working as a waiter, Thornton noted the lack of public transportation options available in Toronto. Blackburn obtained the blueprints of a horse and carriage cab from Montreal, and despite being illiterate, was able to design, build, and operate the cab.
Thornton and Lucie started their taxi service, called the City, in 1837, with one red and yellow cab drawn by one horse and able to carry four passengers at once. Although Thornton operated the original cab, the City expanded rapidly, and became the city’s first successful taxicab company, with many other companies following its example.
Due to Thornton’s success with his cab company, the Blackburns were very generous and active in their community, and worked tirelessly to help those who were less fortunate than themselves. They were instrumental in building the nearby Little Trinity Church, which was, as of 2016, the oldest standing church in Toronto. During the late 1830s, Thornton briefly returned to Kentucky to rescue his mother, Sibby, from slavery and have her join his brother Alfred in Toronto.
The Blackburns also participated in the North American Convention of Colored Freemen in St. Lawrence Hall in September 1851. Thornton then became an associate of Canadian politician and leading abolitionist George Brown, and led the movement to help former slaves settle in the cities of Toronto and Buxton in Upper Canada.
The Blackburns have been recognized for their important life story and their involvement in the abolitionist movement. In 1999, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada named the Blackburns Persons of National Historic Significance. This was to recognize not only their own struggle for freedom, but also the way that their life story is representative of many similar but unrecognized stories. In 2002, plaques were erected in their honor in Louisville, Kentucky, and at the site of their former home in Toronto, Ontario.
Impact
The Blackburns’ escape from slavery was an important instance in which a legal articulation was made in writing against slavery, and it helped to establish Canada as a destination for escaped slaves from the United States. The Blackburns were also notable for their contributions to the growth of Toronto, their generosity toward others, and their work to resist slavery and to bring former slaves to Canada.
Personal Life
Thornton Blackburn died on February 26, 1890, and left $18,000 and a total of six properties to his wife, who sold the property to the Toronto School Board. Thornton is buried at Toronto’s Necropolis Cemetery along with his mother and brothers. Lucie died on February 6, 1895, and was buried next to her husband.
Bibliography
Blackburn Riots of 1833. Detroit: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, n.d. Digital file.
Frost, Karolyn Smardz. I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad. New York: Farrar, 2008.
Shelton, Jim. "Yale Scholar Devotes Her Career to the Tale of Two Escaped Slaves." New Haven Register. New Haven Register, 29 June 2013. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
Sylvester, Erin. "Now and Then: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn." Torontoist. Ink Truck Media, 4 Feb. 2016. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
"Thornton and Lucie Blackburn." Parks Canada. Parks Canada, 1 May 2015. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
"Thornton and Lucie Blackburn House." Lost Rivers. Lost Rivers, n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.
Talbott, Tim. "Kentucky Fugitives to Canada." ExploreKYHistory. Kentucky Historical Soc., n.d. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.