Marie-Joseph Angélique

Marie-Josèphe dite Angélique was an enslaved Black woman in New France who was accused, tried, and executed for allegedly setting fire to Montreal in 1734. While earlier historical interpretations accepted her guilt, more recent scholarship has re-examined her life and trial within the broader context of slavery, colonialism, and racial inequality in early Canada. Rather than a simple criminal case, Angélique’s story has become a key example of how systems of poverty, privilege, and protest operated in New France.