Julia Turner: A Microhistory of Black Identity Formation and Community Building in Windsor-Essex, 1845–1907

In the early to mid-1800s, Windsor-Essex, Ontario, experienced an influx of Freedom Seekers emigrating from the United States to escape enslavement. The growing Black population in the region resulted in the establishment of various Black settlements throughout Windsor-Essex. This research discusses the emergence of a Black community identity through a microhistorical approach. Julia Turner, a single, Black woman living in Windsor-Essex from the mid to late nineteenth century, is the focus of this work. The paper focuses primarily on the period between 1845, the year Turner begins her career as a teacher in racially segregated schools, and 1907, when the last of her estate is settled after her death. As an educator and landowner, Turner had a level of influence in Black communities throughout Windsor-Essex, given the social mobility she acquired throughout her life. This work discusses how Turner likely influenced the formation of communal identities in Black settlements, and how, in turn, existing communal identities influenced the views and actions of Turner.