The story of Marie-Joseph Anglique 'belies that myth of the milder, gentler Canadian treatment of slaves'

Black Life: Untold Storiesis an epic eight-part documentary series that reframes the rich and complex histories of Black people in Canada over 400 years.Watch now on CBC Gem.

Marie-Joseph Anglique was an enslaved Black woman who arrived in Montreal in 1725.

In 1734, she was accused of starting a fire that burned down half of the buildings in Old Montreal. She was tortured until she confessed, then sentenced to death.

"The most significant example that belies that myth of the milder, gentler Canadian treatment of slaves is the story of Marie-Joseph Anglique," historian Dorothy Williams said in "Haven, But No Heaven," the first episode of Black Life: Untold Stories.

In the episode, Williams, who specializes in Black Canadian history, and historian Afua Cooper explain how Anglique's story gives us insight into the 18th-century Qubcois and their views on Black people and enslavement.

"There are some historians that believe she had deliberately set the fire and it was a sign of rebellion," Williams said. "For those who believe she didn't do it, it really brings to the fore the injustice of slavery and how it survived within the province."

WATCH: In this revealing scene, historians Dorothy WilliamsandAfua Cooper explain how Anglique's story gives us insight into the 18th-century Qubcois and their views on Black people and enslavement.

"Haven, But No Heaven" contains disturbing depictions of the inhumanity faced by enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, and may be traumatizing to some viewers.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.