Written by: Grade 6 MacLachlan Student
On Monday, February 3rd, 2013, MacLachlan’s Grade 6 classes went on a field trip to the Oakville Harbour Museum as a finale to our current unit on “All You Need is Peace.” Both classes had just finished reading a book about slavery called, Underground to Canada, by Barbara Smucker.
At the museum, we learned all about the underground railway to Canada, specifically how the town of Oakville became a gateway to freedom for many African-American slaves. Students learned about important people from Oakville who helped slaves escape the clutches of slavery. For example, we were told about the Chisholms, a family that played a role in ending slavery in Canada. We also learned about a man named Captain Wilson who brought many African- Americans to Oakville by ship hidden in wooden boxes. We even got to experience being in these wooden crates in which the slaves themselves were shipped.
Our classes were shown a 30 minute film about Deborah Brown, a slave who escaped to Canada, known as the “Promise Land.” They learned the important role that Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe played in ending slavery. He was an abolitionist, who introduced the Anti-Slavery Act. This law was the reason why many slaves headed to Upper Canada.
The two classes also got to see the “Freedom Doors.” These were the doors through which slaves would walk to become free people. The class also examined numerous “Wanted” signs for missing slaves.
When we came back to our homeroom classes, students had a small discussion on who enjoyed the trip and what everyone had learned that day.
