Born on October 9, 1823, Mary Ann Shadd Cary was a writer, educator, lawyer, abolitionist and the first black newspaperwoman in North America. She founded her newspaper in Ontario, Canada.
In 1850 with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, Mary Shadd and her brother Isaac emigrated from the United States to Canada along with scores of other African Americans who believed Canada offered better and greater opportunities. While there, Mary published a pamphlet titled "Notes on Canada West" that was widely circulated in the United States, in which she extolled the values, benefits and opportunities favorable to blacks in the region. In 1853, Mary founded Canada's first-antislavery newspaper, the Provincial Freeman. This weekly publication encouraged blacks to emigrate to Canada. Cary lectured widely in Canada and the United States to increase subscription and to publicly solicit aid for runaway slaves, at great risk to her own personal welfare. The dynamic young female editor was known as "The Rebel" to her family and friends.