"Although diminished in numbers, Birchtown remains a proud symbol of the
struggle by Blacks in the Maritimes and elsewhere for justice and
dignity." So says the plaque at Black Loyalist Heritage Park in
Birchtown, commemorating the former Black slaves who fought with the
British in the American Revolutionary War to gain their freedom in the
form of a small plot of land near Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
In Birchtown and the Black Loyalists, Wanda Taylor recounts the
incredible story of the Black Loyalists of Birchtown for young readers.
With educational and accessible language, readers are introduced to the
journey of Black American soldiers taken from Africa as slaves, their
quest for freedom, the settlement and struggle of Black Loyalists on
Nova Scotian soil, and the enduring spirit of their descendants in spite
of a history marked by hardship and loss. Includes informative sidebars,
highlighted glossary terms, recommended reading, historic timeline, an
index, and dozens of historical and contemporary images.