Learn more about Julian Sher’s ‘The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln’
In Julian Sher’s The North Star, readers are taken on a journey through the lesser-known and darker aspects of Canada’s involvement in the American Civil War. While Canada is widely known as a haven for escaped slaves, Sher uncovers its more sinister role as a Confederate North, serving as a base for terror raids, biological warfare, and money laundering.
Meticulously researched and powerfully relevant to contemporary debates and divisions, The North Star presents a fresh perspective on a crucial period in American history and its undeniable ties to Canada.
We couldn’t help ourselves but dive headfirst into all of the details. Take a look at what stuck out to us the most.
Old secrets
The book uncovers the secret history of Canada during this tumultuous period, revealing the ties between prominent Canadian elites and the slaveholding South while also highlighting the stories of ordinary Canadians, including Black citizens, who enlisted to fight for the Union.
The North Star offers a captivating exploration of Canada’s role in the Civil War, shedding light on Montreal as a hub for assassins, mercenaries, and Confederate spies, and Toronto as a headquarters for Confederate plotters and gun-runners.
At the same time, Sher shares the inspiring stories of Anderson Abbott and Alexander Augusta, two Black doctors from Canada who served in Lincoln’s army and fought against racism.
Hidden Truths
Amid the captivating and complex stories of Canada’s role in the Civil War, the chilling tale of Dr. Luke Blackburn’s Yellow Fever Plot serves as a stark reminder of the sinister side of this period.
Dr. Blackburn, a talented physician and slave-owning Mississippian, devised a deadly plan to kill thousands in the North using bioterrorism. However, his scheme was foiled by a betrayed co-conspirator, leading to a sensational trial that coincided with Lincoln’s assassination.
Though his case was ultimately dismissed, his sinister deeds cast a long shadow over his life and his tenure as Kentucky’s governor. Even in death, the “hideous devil” struggled to escape the stain of his heinous ambitions, a testament to the murky, multi-faceted world of the Civil War era.
Black pioneers
In the depths of the Civil War, ordinary Canadians sympathized with the Union cause, with around 30,000 enlisting to fight. Among the most renowned were two pioneering Black doctors, Alexander Augusta and Anderson Abbott, who broke racial barriers to serve in the Union Army.
The duo faced a litany of challenges, from prejudice within the military to violent mobs on the streets. However, they persevered, championing civil rights and improving medical care for Black soldiers. The duo’s courage and determination even brought them face-to-face with President Lincoln, who embraced their presence despite his son’s objections.
Later, in the somber moments following Lincoln’s assassination, Abbott would comfort the grieving First Lady, solidifying a bond that transcended race and borders. Both Augusta and Abbott continued to advocate for civil rights and equality long after the war, epitomizing the spirit of humanity that transcended the conflict.
The author
Julian Sher is an award-winning journalist and the author of seven books, including The North Star and White Hoods: Canada’s Ku Klux Klan. He co-authored two books on biker gangs, The Road to Hell and Angels of Death, and wrote two books on crimes against children, One Child at a Time and Somebody’s Daughter.
From organized crime to child abuse, he has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and USA Today.
He has directed and written major TV documentaries, covering wars and intrigue across the globe. His documentary Nuclear Jihad, produced for the New York Times and the CBC, won the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, in 2007.
For five years, he was the Senior Producer of CBC’s the fifth estate, Canada’s premier investigative TV program, overseeing co-productions with PBS’s Frontline and helping the show win an International Emmy. He is also active in protecting media freedoms, working with the Centre for Free Expression and Journalists for Human Rights.
Rewritten past
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This lively quote from the famous Southern writer, William Faulkner, was echoed by an energetic, up-and-coming Illinois senator running for president back in 2008. Barack Obama knew that the vibrant tapestry of America’s past, full of the trials and tribulations of slavery and racism, continued to mold the nation’s future.
Not your typical, dusty history lesson, this thrilling journey takes us on a roller coaster ride through the forces that built the America of yesterday and the events that continue to shape the America we know today.
Informed future
Fast forward to the Civil Rights movement of the ’60s and the 21st century’s Black Lives Matter, which rose up to challenge those deep-rooted “ideals” still cherished by Confederate supporters.
It took a long while, but change has finally come. The American Medical Association formally apologized in 2008 for its past racial inequality, and statues celebrating Confederate leaders have been taken down in droves.
This powerful evolution forces us to confront and re-evaluate the complex past, even when it makes us uneasy. As Abraham Lincoln said, “History is not history unless it is the truth.” We couldn’t agree more!
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What other secrets do you think Canada is losing its grip on? What more could you say for the United States now that so much truth is coming to light? Let us know in the comments!
