Marie Joseph dite Angélique (circa 1705–1734) National Historic Person
© Canada Post Corporation, 2025. Reproduced with permission
Marie Joseph dite Angélique was designated as a national historic person in 2025.
Historical importance: enslaved woman of African descent sold to a merchant in Montréal, New France, convicted of arson in 1734, whose life story has become a symbol of Black resistance and women’s strength.
Commemorative plaque: no plaque installedFootnote 1
Marie Joseph dite Angélique (circa 1705–1734)
Marie Joseph, known as Angélique, was an enslaved woman of African descent in 18th-century Montréal, during a time when the practice of enslavement was widely accepted. In 1734, she was convicted of arson, hanged, and burned. Though it remains unknown if she lit the fire, her story provides a rare window into the experiences and struggles of enslaved women of African descent in New France. Through her attempts to challenge and escape her servile condition and her determination to maintain her innocence during her trial, she has become a symbol of women’s strength and Black resistance against oppression.
Marie Joseph dite Angélique was born around 1705 in either Portugal or the Portuguese colony of Madeira and may have been enslaved from birth. Little is known about her life, including her birth name. However, she shared some details in her testimony at her 1734 trial in Montréal. She was forcibly removed from her home and sold to the wealthy and influential merchant François Poulin de Francheville and brought to Montréal in the 1720s as an enslaved domestic for his household. In June 1730, she was baptized Marie Joseph, but she was also named Angélique by her enslaver’s wife, Thérèse de Couagne de Francheville. Over the years, she has been known as Marie Joseph Angelique, Marie-Joseph Angélique, Marie-Josèphe-Angélique, and other variations.
In New France, enslaved women, especially domestic servants like Angélique, often suffered psychological and physical violence. When Francheville died in 1733, his wife inherited his property, including Angélique, who increasingly resisted her enslavement in various ways, and she was sold to a merchant in Quebec City. Knowing that she had been sold, in February 1734 Angélique fled with a white man and convicted salt smuggler named Claude Thibault. They were captured 15 days later. Angélique was returned to Madame de Francheville. Thibault was imprisoned and later released in early April 1734.
Angélique’s life took another dramatic turn that spring. She and Thibault were accused of causing a fire that destroyed a part of Montréal on the night of April 10. Angélique was imprisoned, while Thibault fled, never to be found again. Angélique was brought to trial and convicted. Her case was appealed, but the conviction was upheld. On 21 June 1734, in Montréal, she was tortured, hanged, and then burned.
Her trial illustrates the harshness of the colonial justice system in New France (like elsewhere in the world at that time). No one had access to legal counsel. Judgements were based on limited investigation, hearsay, and the judge’s prejudice. Sentences were severe, even horrific, compared to today’s standards. The “Code noir” in France defined enslaved people of African descent as chattel with no civil rights or autonomy. Although it was never officially implemented in Canada, it informed the governance of enslavement, and its absence did not mean enslaved persons were treated humanely. Their bodies were owned by the economic and political elite, and they were dehumanized as objects. They had no choices, no rights, no protection.
It remains unknown if Marie Joseph dite Angélique set the fire. Whether she did or not, she left an important mark on Canadian history, as a symbol of Black resistance against enslavement and an icon of women’s strength against oppression.
“By weaving together narratives, addressing challenges, and engaging the community, it serves as a catalyst for a more profound connection to our past. Through this designation, we not only acknowledge the complexities of our history but also pave the way for a more enlightened and empathetic future."
This press backgrounder was prepared at the time of the Ministerial announcement in 2025.
The National Program of Historical Commemoration relies on the participation of Canadians in the identification of places, events and persons of national historic significance. Any member of the public can nominate a topic for consideration by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
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