History – Morgan Editing https://morganediting.com An editorial blog. Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:57:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://i0.wp.com/morganediting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cropped-1nS2ct-LogoMakr-favicon-3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 History – Morgan Editing https://morganediting.com 32 32 194906956 How Mary Ann Shadd Cary Broke Barriers in Education, Publishing, and Law https://morganediting.com/how-mary-ann-shadd-cary-broke-barriers-in-education-publishing-and-law/ Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:07:36 +0000 https://morganediting.com/?p=2428 Imagine paving a path that no one else like you has forged. A path that fulfils your innate desire and creates a possible blueprint for others to emulate.

It takes both courage, acting despite fear, and creativity.

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portrait of Mary Ann Shadd
Mary Ann Camberton Shadd Cary (October 9, 1823 – June 5, 1893)

Imagine paving a path that no one else like you has forged. A path that fulfils your innate desire and creates a possible blueprint for others to emulate.

It takes both courage, acting despite fear, and creativity. 

That desire for action comes from the fire of a calling that, once lit, needs to be answered. If not you, then who.

About 200 years ago, in 1823, such a fire was lit; Mary Ann Shadd Cary would become Canada’s first woman publisher and the first Black woman to run a newspaper in North America.

Before the Press

Before breaking barriers in publishing, she started in education by opening a racially integrated school in Windsor, Ontario in 1851. 

With an emphasis on literacy, classical education, and civic responsibility, the school was opened to both boys and girls.

At a time when racial segregation was common on both sides of the border, her school represented one of the first integrated classrooms in pre-Confederation Canada.

Shadd’s commitment to justice transcended the classroom, and she used the press as a trumpet to promote education and the betterment of her community.

Put it in Writing

The Provincial Freeman, a weekly, anti-slavery newspaper, was published in 1853 and ran in Windsor, Toronto and Chatham. 

It helped shape a political debate about freedom and settlement, giving a public voice to Black Canadians and women.

Knowing that gender expectations of that time may cause her readership to reject a woman at the helm, Shadd recruited the help of two men, a fellow Black abolitionist publisher and a White clergyman. Their names, Samuel Ringgold Ward and Rev. Alexander McArthur, appeared on the masthead though Shadd ran the paper. 

In addition to general news and literature, the newspaper featured personal stories of people who pushed back against discrimination and advocated for fair treatment and self-education.

The front page of the Provincial Freeman newspaper, September 2, 1854.
The front page of the Provincial Freeman, September 2, 1854.

Order in the Court

Some of that pushback was on the legal system which permitted the very injustices Shadd and others were fighting. 

Legislation like the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was reminiscent of the colonial period; a period which encouraged legalized exploitation.

That legislation of 1850 would be the catalyst for Shadd and her family to move to Canada.

American by birth and Canadian by naturalization, Shadd’s interest in law would take her to Howard University’s school of law where she completed her LL.B degree at the approximate age of 60 – she was, again, among the first.

Recognition on Both Sides of the Border

More than a century after her death in 1893, her personal papers were added to the Canada Memory of the World Register by UNESCO’s Canadian committee in 2023.

Before that in 1976, Shadd’s former residence in Washington, DC, was declared a National Historic Landmark, and her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware named a post office in her honour in 2021.

Shadd’s life reminds us that progress comes from a lifetime of stubborn, strategic effort. It provides shoulders on which posterity can stand.

Conclusion

Her school, newspaper, and legal practice amplified the voices of the marginalized.

Her example teaches us to step up and take a stand, in both word and deed, against abuse and injustice. It’s a reminder that when you’re denied a key, perhaps you need to build your own door.

As the National Park Service notes, Shadd refused to be quiet. Maybe that’s what we need to be a ‘first’.✿

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]]> 2428 From Surgeon to Civil Rights Pioneer: The Legacy of Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott https://morganediting.com/from-surgeon-to-civil-rights-pioneer-the-legacy-of-dr-anderson-ruffin-abbott/ Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:37:37 +0000 https://morganediting.com/?p=2190 Anderson Ruffin Abbott was born in Toronto, Upper Canada (now Ontario). His parents Wilson Ruffin Abbott and Ellen Toyer had escaped Alabama because of racial conflicts and business threats.

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Portrait of Dr. Anderson Abbott
By Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries

Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott started his life as a surgeon before becoming a civil rights pioneer whose legacy remains prominent in Canadian history.

Anderson Ruffin Abbott served as the first Canadian-born physician from Black descent who achieved professional distinction in Canadian medical history. 

Throughout his life from April 7, 1837 until his death on December 29, 1913 he delivered important medical contributions, educational services and civil rights activism. 

Through his determination, Abbott opened professional opportunities for Black Canadians who followed him and he created lasting impacts on Canadian and American history.

Early Life and Education

Anderson Ruffin Abbott was born in Toronto, Upper Canada (now Ontario). His parents Wilson Ruffin Abbott and Ellen Toyer had escaped Alabama because of racial conflicts and business threats. 

The Abbott family established their home in Toronto when Wilson built his business success and acquired property which made him prominent throughout the community. 

Anderson obtained quality education because of his family’s economic prosperity. His education included studying at both private educational institutions and public schools including the prestigious Buxton Mission School at the Elgin settlement which housed freed slaves. 

Abbott pursued his academic journey by attending the Toronto Academy before moving on to study at Oberlin College which gained recognition for its open approach to interracial learning. 

University College in Toronto accepted Abbott in 1857 followed by enrollment at the Toronto School of Medicine. 

Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott received his medical education under Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta who also became a famous Black physician in his own right. 

Abbott secured his medical license in 1861 and received the distinction of becoming Canada’s first doctor born to Black parents. (Wikipedia)

Medical Career and the American Civil War

During the American Civil War (1863) Abbott felt an inner urge to serve. He moved to Washington D.C. where he joined the Union Army as a civilian surgeon. 

During his time at the Contraband Hospital (later named Freedmen’s Hospital) Abbott treated Black soldiers from the United States Colored Troops alongside formerly enslaved people who had sought refuge in the capital. 

His outstanding work resulted in his appointment as the surgeon-in-chief at the hospital during November 1864. 

Abbott was honored to attend a White House reception in February 1864, where he was received with courtesy by President Abraham Lincoln; this was a significant moment for Black professionals at that time. 

Abbott joined a small group of people who paid their respects when President Lincoln lay in state after his assassination in April 1865. 

The Wisconsin Historical Society possesses the shawl Mary Todd Lincoln gave him after the president’s death as a symbol of appreciation. (Circulating Now; Encyclopedia Britannica; Wikipedia)

Post-War Contributions in Canada

After the war, Abbott returned to Canada and opened his medical practice while deeply involved with community affairs. 

He married Mary Ann Casey in 1871 and they raised five children together. 

The medical services of Anderson Ruffin Abbott coupled with his active advocacy for education and civil rights led him to establish his medical practice in Chatham, Ontario. 

Abbott dedicated his time to leadership positions at the Wilberforce Educational Institute and used his influence to fight against racial segregation in Ontario schools until their eventual closure. 

The public recognized his dedication to service by appointing him coroner for Kent County in 1874 which made him the first Black person to hold this position in Canada. (Wikipedia)

Later Years and Legacy

Throughout his life, Anderson Abbott maintained his dedication to both medicine and service in the community. 

During the 1890s he became surgeon-in-chief at Provident Hospital in Chicago where he led the first training hospital for Black nurses in America. 

Under his leadership at the facility he created better medical care standards while enabling Black women to take advantage of significant nursing opportunities. 

Abbott displayed his intellectual abilities through his writing activities which produced many articles about medical subjects as well as biological studies and historical research focused on Black people and civil rights issues. 

Through his writings he demonstrated his unyielding dedication to Black progress and his support for education and cultural integration as paths toward equality. 

Through his life work Abbott demonstrated his ability to break through barriers while leading progress forward. 

Through his medical practice and educational pursuits Abbott created pathways that future Black Canadians would use to build their communities. 

He died in Toronto on December 29, 1913 leaving behind a legacy based on his persistence for equality and his determination and resilience. 

His achievements remain celebrated through time as an everlasting tribute in Canadian historical records.✿ (Wikipedia; Biographi)

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]]> 2190 Elijah McCoy: The man who was behind the famous quote, ‘The Real McCoy’ https://morganediting.com/elijah-mccoy-the-man-who-was-behind-the-famous-quote-the-real-mccoy/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 22:44:08 +0000 https://morganediting.com/?p=2117 When people use the term ‘the real McCoy’ they may be referring to something real, or of high quality. But, do you know that this phrase is associated with a great inventor whose name was Elijah McCoy? He is the man who ensured that machines ran efficiently and without complications through his creations. Let’s get to learn more about this extraordinary man and how he influenced the society.

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Portrait of Elijah McCoy
Portrait of Elijah McCoy
Rights Held by: Ypsilanti Historical Society

When people use the term ‘the real McCoy’ they may be referring to something real, or of high quality.

But, do you know that this phrase is associated with a great inventor named Elijah  McCoy?

He is the man who ensured that machines ran efficiently and without complications through his creations.  Let’s get to learn more about this extraordinary man and how he influenced the society.

Early Life and Education

The birth of Elijah McCoy took place on May 2, 1844, in  Colchester, Ontario, Canada. His parents were freed slaves from Kentucky and they escaped to Canada through the Underground  Railroad.

When he was still very young, his parents moved to Michigan and McCoy showed a lot of interest in mechanics at an early age.

Even though there were restrictions on the opportunities for black people, McCoy’s parents had been able to save enough money to send him to Scotland to study mechanical engineering.

He trained as an engineer and went back to the United States to search for a job in his area of choice.

But McCoy was deprived of a job due to racism and he could only manage to get a job as a fireman and oilman with the Michigan Central Railroad. But McCoy did not allow this to prevent him from becoming a historian.

The Invention That Changed Everything

During the time McCoy worked for the railroad, he identified a major issue. It was a real challenge because steam engines required to be stopped and oiled by humans which slowed down the movement of trains and wasted time.

He came up with a solution: a lubricating cup that would provide oil to moving parts of the train even when the train was in motion. This meant that trains could travel for more miles and at higher speeds without having to stop as often for repairs.

In 1872, McCoy patented his automatic lubricating device, which was an important part of trains, ships, and factory machines.  It was because his product was so reliable that companies did not want cheap imitations.

They asked for  “the real McCoy” only, a phrase that became a hallmark of quality and excellence.

Other Inventions and Accomplishments

McCoy did not stop at the first invention; he made 57  patents in his lifetime, most of which were related to lubrication and included a folding ironing board and a lawn sprinkler.

His ideas helped to improve the development of industries and increase the productivity and efficiency of transportation and manufacturing.

As successful as he was, McCoy had his share of difficulties. He was unable to produce his inventions on his own because he did not have the funds to do so,  and thus had to sell off his patents.

However, his brilliance could not be hidden, and his work remained in high demand.

Legacy and Contribution to the World

Elijah McCoy’s efforts in the field of engineering and mechanics saw him come up with innovations that changed the face of industrial technology. His automatic lubrication systems were adopted in locomotives, ships, and even present-day machinery due to their efficiency. 

If it were not for his invention, there are a lot of companies that would have not been as effective as they are today.

McCoy is still famous to this day. He was welcomed into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in  2001. He did not just make the machines work better but also opened the door for the black inventors and engineers to come up.✿

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