Rose, Marie Marguerite National Historic Person
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Portrayal of Marie Marguerite Rose
© Parks Canada / Parcs Canada
Address :
58 Wolfe Street, Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2008-04-11
Life Date:
1717 to 1757
Other Name(s):
-
Rose, Marie Marguerite
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2007-012
Importance:
Key figure in the initial phase of Black slavery in Canada and stood out among emancipated slaves in New France
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, Nova Scotia
Captured in Africa at the age of 19 and transported to Ile Royale, where she was sold to a member of the colonial elite, Marie Marguerite Rose is seen to be a key figure of the initial phase of Black slavery in Canada. Gaining her freedom after spending 19 years in slavery, she married a Mi'kmaw man and opened a tavern in Louisbourg, becoming part of the colony's business community. Both were rare occurrences among emancipated slaves in New France. Rose's experience speaks to the presence of slavery on Ile Royale and in Canada, where an estimated population of 1,375 Black slaves existed during the French Regime.