Abraham Doras Shadd (1801-1882) was born a free man in Wilmington, Delaware, and eventually became the first black man to hold elected office in Canada. Shadd’s story is not one of just his own, but of his family and all the accomplishments they have made to society. Abraham was the grandson of a white German soldier, Hans Schad, and a free black woman, Elizabeth Jackson. They were married in 1756 in Pennsylvania, where they resided until the 1770’s when they moved their family to Delaware. Abraham’s father is Jeremiah Shadd, the second-born son of Hans and Elizabeth.
After Abraham and Elizabeth moved to Delaware, they settled in Wilmington, where they were business owners. Hans owned a butcher shop, and Elizabeth owned a tea shop. These are significant contributions, and the Shadd family was one of success in a time where blacks were not known to own businesses. Their businesses were operating when Delaware entered the State of Union and became the First State in 1787. This was a time that was full of conflict, and slavery was still legal in Delaware.
Jeremiah followed in his father’s footsteps and became a butcher, and then owned and operated a second business as a shoemaker. Abraham worked in the shoe shop along with his father and took over the business as a shoemaker in 1819. Abraham married and went on to have 13 children, several of which also became significant contributors to African American History in Delaware.
Abraham had a passion for obtaining civil rights for African Americans and devoted his time to the abolitionist movement, which sought the end of slavery immediately. However, he opposed the African Colonization Society due to their plan to send African Americans to Liberia in Africa. He believed that blacks could be successful in North America and pushed for blacks to be allowed to integrate into society the way his family had done, through freedom, education, and hard work.
In the late 1820’s Shadd became a conductor for the Underground Railroad using his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and assisted slaves to cross through to Canada for freedom safely. In 1833 Shadd moved his family to West Chester, Pennsylvania. The move to West Chester was a strategic one on Shadd’s part. Delaware had become increasingly challenging for African Americans to live in as the government implements stricter laws that prohibited blacks from being successful. Also, there was only one African American school in Wilmington, and it did not allow girls to be enrolled. Shadd moved his family to West Chester, where his children could attend a school run by the Quakers.
Shadd’s participation in the Underground Railroad did not end with his move; he also used his home in West Chester to help slaves escape to freedom. Shadd believed in and supported voluntary black emigration to Canada. In 1858 he and his wife moved to Canada, where he eventually became the first black man to be elected to public office.
Shadd raised his children to stand up for what they believe in, and that success came from hard work, and their education gave them a good opportunity. Due to this, several of his children went on to make their own impact on history. Mary Ann became an educator, journalist, abolitionist, and women’s rights advocate. Isaac served in the Mississippi legislature from 1871-1874 and was a newspaper publisher. Eunice attended Howard, where she received her teaching degree and then became an educator. His son Abraham practiced law in Mississippi and Arkansas after graduating from Howard University Law Department.
