When we speak of the two countries, we are talking about nations that have expanded and contracted at different stages in time. Most would argue that the United States' existence began in 1776 ("thirteen colonies") with the Declaration of Independence, while Canada's began in 1791 with the formation of the colonies Lower (Quebec) and Upper (Ontario) Canada. [Technically speaking, Canada was formally created in 1867, almost one hundred years after the United States.]
Or you could argue that anything north and south of the border ("Treaty of Paris 1783") between the two nations after the American revolutionary war ended would suffice in drawing distinctions.
If we go by the 1776 and 1791 dates - you'll note that slavery was still legal and existed in "Canada" proper, as well as the United States. It should also be noted that slavery was often practiced before it had an official term or was formalized into law - in both nations.
So how do the two nations compare? (Blue for USA / Red for Canada)
1619 - The first slaves arrive in Virginia
1632 - First known black slave in New France; none would be documented for another 25 years
1641 - Massachusetts is the first colony to legalize slavery
1650 - Connecticut legalizes slavery
1652 - Rhode Island passes laws restricting slavery; forbidding enslavement more than 10 years
1663 - Maryland legalizes slavery
1664 - New York & New Jersey legalize slavery
1671 - French settlers begin to acquire Amerindian slaves
1688 - French governor and Intendant formally request black slave shipments
1688 - Pennsylvania Quakers pass first anti-slavery resolution (first formal protest of slavery)
1689 - King Louis XIV authorizes importation of black slaves; they are delayed 8 years due to war
1700 - Pennsylvania legalizes slavery
1701 - King Louis XIV grants a second royal sanction; slaves delayed by 11 years due to war again
1709 - Intendant Raudot makes slavery legal under formal law
1712 - Pennsylvania prohibits importation of slaves
1715 - Rhode Island legalizes slavery
1721 - Intendant Begon submits request for slave shipment; not ultimately fulfilled
1738 - Georgia permits the importation of black slaves
1752 - Black slaves are advertised for sale in Halifax
1760 - Conquest by British, under Articles of Capitulation slavery continues under the British
1774 - Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Georgia prohibit the importation of slaves.
1775 - Free blacks allowed to join continental army; blacks fighting for the British will be liberated
1776 - Declaration of Independence is signed (slavery still legal in the 13 colonies)
1777 - Vermont abolishes slavery
1778 - Virginia prohibits importation of slaves
1780 - Pennsylvania begins gradual emancipation. A freedom clause in the Massachusetts constitution is interpreted as an abolishment of slavery.
1781 - St John's Island (now Prince Edward Island) passes an Act stating that baptized slaves will remain in slavery, as will any black not freed by owners
1784 - Rhode Island and Connecticut begin gradual emancipation
1785 - New York passes a gradual emancipation law, prohibits the importation of slaves
1787 - The Northwest Ordinance forbids slavery, except as criminal punishment, in the Northwest Territory (later Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin).
1791 - Prince Edward Island [then St John's Island] encourages white settlers by offering "forty shillings for every negro brought by such white person"
1793 - Pierre Louis Panet submits a bill for the abolition of slavery to the House of Assembly in Lower Canda; the bill is not passed
Upper Canada passes law prohibiting introduction of new slaves into the province
1794 - Congress prohibits slave trade between the U.S. and foreign countries.
1799 - Montreal slave owners ask the House of Assembly in Lower Canada to rule on the status of slaves (abolition or continued enslavement); there is no ruling
1800 - Slave owners request again that the legality of slavery be clarified, there is no ruling ... followed by more bill attempts the next year and until 1803; no rulings
1803 - Chief Justice William Osgoode begins court rulings in favor of runaway slaves
1804 - Underground Railroad is established in Pennsylvania
1819 - Attorney General John Beverley Robinson's Pronouncement: Canada would not return fugitive slaves
1820-21 - Last known advertisements for slaves appeared in Halifax (20) and in Quebec (21).
1829 - Mexico abolishes slavery and becomes a refuge for fugitive slaves (within months, Texas is exempted from that order)
1832 - Kentucky forbids residents from buying and importing slaves
1834 - Britain abolishes slavery in all its colonies, effectively ending it in Canada
1836 - Texas wins independence from Mexico and legalizes slavery (it joins the Union 9 years later)
1844 - Oregon prohibits slavery
1848 - Connecticut prohibits slavery
1862 - Utah abolishes slavery
1863 - Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation (slaves in Confederate territory are freed)
1864 - Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Maryland abolish slavery
1865 - Tennessee abolishes slavery
13th Amendment to the Constitution is passed - abolishing slavery
Of course, this very basic time line still leaves much out. The topic is extensive however, and even just chronicling the numerous changes in law between states would at least triple the length of this short overview.I wanted to post it to simply prove a point: Canadians self congratulatory view on slavery is false. Canada had slaves and legalized slavery while other places were attempting to abolish it or at least prohibit its growth. It is not so clear cut as to say "Americans had slavery, Canada didn't" or that Canada was the "land of freedom".
Lastly, as the post on Canada's Forgotten Slaves makes clear, Canada can't claim any moral superiority on the subject. Canada was prevented from having extensive slavery due to wars, being a poorer colony and other factors beyond its control; citizens did try to import slave shipments. Citizens also exported slaves to the Caribbean, including "troublesome" indigenous peoples.
Canada did not abolish slavery, Britain did. While Upper Canada prohibited new slaves from coming to the province, it still allowed slavery to continue. It did have a gradual emancipation plan, but was thirty years or more behind some American states! When confronted with the issue numerous times, Lower Canada failed to act in any meaningful way.
While not justifiable in any sense, the economic reasoning for black slavery in the south at least has some logic, whereas in Canada it didn't even merit that and was had for the even more loathsome reasons of pride and social prestige. Most slaves in Canada were Aboriginal, corresponding with Canada's economic imperative the fur trade, and declined in numbers once that industry waned, not through any sort of sympathetic reasoning.
Of course, since Canada covered up its slavery and is only now beginning to be honest, it's difficult to come by any great wealth of information. I will update this post periodically when I can add to it and try to learn more.
