#1792 Project

Dear Teachers and Students at Auburn Drive High School,

January 15, 2022 marks the 230th anniversary of 15 ships departing the harbour of Halifax, the largest single return of people of African descent to the continent of Africa. This departure took place at the height of the transatlantic chattel slave trade one of the darkest chapters in the history of humanity. As students we are seeking to connect with the stories of these seafarers to allow a deeper understanding of the causes and conditions that led to the exodus, and how those conditions of abject institutionalised racism must be examined and challenged to this day. We invite you to participate in #1792Project during this anniversary year to commemorate the exodus of 1,196 Black Loyalists on the journey to Sierra Leone.

This important part of history is not being taught in our schools. African Nova Scotian learners are impacted by this erasure and we must all find a way for our politics, institutions, schools and organizations to meet the obligation to re-examine omissions in the ongoing commitment to eliminate the pandemic of systemic racism.

As a maritime province, ships and the ocean stir our imagination - the Betsey, the Mary, the Eleanor, the Felicity, the Morning Star, the Venus, the Sierra Leone, the Beaver, the Brothers, the Prince William Fleury, the Prince William, the Catherine, the Lucretia, the Somerset and the Parr have their stories. Let’s listen to them.

A “Book of Letters” began in September of 2021, in preparation for the 230th anniversary of the first recruitment that took place in Preston on October 12, 1791. Journals from this time were written and links can be found to journals on the Black Loyalist site.

Join us by asking your students of any background to write a letter to one of the seafarers from your perspective of our time, 2022, to what they might have been going through in their time. A few questions that might be answered would be: how have things changed since then, what they went through and how it helped, what you might be experiencing today that might relate, lessons learned...be creative and tell your truth. Send the letters marked #1792Project to Auburn Drive H.S., 300 Auburn Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2W 6E9. Our goal is to reach 1,196 letters.

received by March 31, 2022. Municipal proclamations will be included in the ‘Book of Letters’ and your message can take the form of a poem or artwork as well.
We have included samples of the letters that we wrote. A counter will be available on the School’s website and we’ll tweet the number of letters we receive from your schools. Help us celebrate this important educational opportunity by participating in this learning journey!

Yours in education,

#1792 Project Team

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Proclamation Initiative: #1792Project - 230th Anniversary - 15 Ships to Sierra Leone - Black Loyalist Exodus

#1792 Project continues to bring to life the story of the 15 Ships to Sierra Leone during this 230th Anniversary year. The voyage that began in the Maritimes in 1792 has an impact on all of Canadian society. Throughout the year, we are asking municipalities from coast to coast to coast to proclaim this history.

Over 20 municipalities in Nova Scotia followed Mayor Savage and HRM’s lead to issue Proclamations that educate and illuminate the journey. We are taking our request across Canada and to date have invited 200 cities and towns to proclaim. From Vancouver BC to Kensington PEI we have gathered 17. Proclamations ( and or Social Media posts) with many more pending.

Thank you to the cities that have participated and illuminated this historic year. We are pleased to share these Proclamations on Emancipation Day 2022!

PROCLAIMED: Vancouver BC Calgary AB Kensington PEI Kingston Ont Saanich BC
Red Deer AB Mission City BC Victoria BC Fredericton NB Grand Bay-Westfield, NB ( soc.media)

St John’s, NFLD Kitchener, Ont ( Social Media) Kingston ON Newmarket, ON
Niagara Falls, ON Saskatoon, SK Saint John, NB Kensington, PEI, Windsor, Ontario.