The story of Marie Joseph Angélique stands as one of the most significant episodes in the history of slavery in Canada, exposing the harsh realities of slavery and the brutal treatment of enslaved people.
Born in 1705, Angélique was an enslaved Black woman, brought to New France (modern-day Quebec) from Portugal or Spain, although much of her early life remains a mystery. What is known is that her life, like many enslaved people, was marked by exploitation and suffering.
Angélique was enslaved by François Poulin de Francheville, a wealthy merchant in Montreal, and his wife, Thérèse de Couagne. As in other colonies, life for Black people in New France (Canada) was extremely oppressive and enslaved individuals, both Africans and Indigenous, were treated as property. Angélique’s experience would have been no different. She was tasked with heavy domestic labor and was subject to the whims and cruelty of her owners.
When her enslaver, François, died in 1733, Angélique was inherited by his widow, Thérèse de Couagne. She continued working in the Francheville household in Montreal, as well as on the family farm, which primarily produced supplies for Francheville’s trading expeditions.
During her time in Montreal, Angélique had three children: a boy born in 1731 who lived only one month, and twins in 1732, both of whom died within five months. The baptismal records listed the father as Jacques César, a Black slave from Madagascar, owned by Ignace Gamelin, a friend of the Franchevilles. It is unclear whether Angélique and César were lovers by choice or if they were forced by their owners to have children, as the offspring of enslaved people automatically became the property of the mother’s owner.
Reports suggest Angélique was determined to resist her fate. She had a reputation for being difficult and rebellious, refusing to submit quietly to the dehumanizing conditions of slavery. It is also believed that Angélique formed a romantic relationship with a white indentured servant, Claude Thibault, with whom she planned to escape to New England in search of freedom.
In February 1734, while Madame Francheville was away, the two lovers attempted to escape across the frozen St. Lawrence River, hoping to reach New England. They made it as far as Châteauguay, but the harsh winter weather forced them to take shelter. Unfortunately, they were captured after a few weeks and returned to Montreal.
While Thibault was imprisoned briefly, Angélique was returned to her enslaver, who, surprisingly, did not punish her for the escape. However, this leniency likely had more to do with Thérèse de Couagne’s intention to sell Angélique to another owner in Quebec City than any goodwill. Angélique, fearing a worse fate and a possible sale to the West Indies, became more desperate as her time in Montreal ran out.
The Great Fire of Montreal
On the evening of April 10, 1734, a massive fire broke out in Old Montreal, destroying nearly half the city. Forty-five houses were reduced to ashes, and during the chaos, looting occurred, with items stolen from homes and even a convent. Although the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, rumors quickly spread that Angélique had started the blaze in an attempt to cover up another escape with Thibault, who had disappeared shortly after being released from jail. Some witnesses claimed to have heard Angélique make threats against her mistress’s house, and the widespread destruction left many eager to find someone to blame.
Angélique was arrested and, despite the lack of concrete evidence linking her to the fire, was charged with arson.
The trial that followed was shaped by racial and social biases. Witnesses testified to Angélique’s stubbornness as a slave, her previous escape attempt, and her supposed threats, but none could say for certain that she had started the fire. Without solid evidence, the prosecution relied on hearsay, and the racist assumptions that Black people were inherently dangerous. Throughout the trial, Angélique consistently maintained her innocence. After a lengthy and contentious trial, Angélique was found guilty of arson.
Angélique was sentenced to death, initially to be executed in a particularly gruesome manner: her hand was to be severed, and she was to be burned alive, with her ashes scattered to the wind. The sentence was automatically appealed to the Superior Council in Quebec, which confirmed her guilt but reduced the brutality of the punishment. She was to be hanged and her body burned afterward.
Before her execution, Angélique was subjected to torture in a process known as the “question préalable,” designed to extract a confession and reveal any accomplices. Her legs were crushed by plank under the hand of Mathieu Léveillé, an enslaved African compelled to serve as an executioner and torturer. Under extreme duress, Angélique eventually confessed to setting the fire but insisted she acted alone.
On June 21, 1734, Marie Joseph Angélique was publicly paraded through the streets of Montreal before being hanged until her death. Her body was then burned, and her ashes scattered, marking a tragic end for a woman who had fiercely fought for her freedom.
In recent decades, historians have re-examined her life and trial as a critical part of understanding the experiences of enslaved Black women in New France (Canada). Some scholars believe Marie Joseph Angélique was innocent and merely a convenient scapegoat for the fire. Others suggest that, guilty or not, her actions were those of a woman resisting an inhumane system in any way she could.
