Grave of Elizabeth Denison

This is the final resting place of Elizabeth Denison, an African American woman born into slavery in 1793. Denison lived most of her life in Detroit, and her life before 1807, when she was able to safely return to Detroit after previously escaping to Canada, demonstrates that slavery was not limited to the American South. Denison's return to the United States and life as a free woman also shows the importance of court decisions such as the 1807 Michigan Territory Supreme Court case that established the precedent that African Americans who escaped slavery by traveling to Canada could not be returned to slavery in Michigan. Denison worked as a domestic and invested her earnings in real estate and various businesses and owned many acres near present-day Elmwood Cemetery where she was buried following her death in 1866.

Elizabeth Denison's life serves as a reminder that slavery existed in Michigan while also demonstrating the tenacity of African Americans in their fight for freedom. Her life also demonstrates the critical role performed by abolitionists and supporters of individuals who sought freedom through support for the Underground Railroad in Detroit.

Elizabeth Denison was born into slavery in 1793. With the support of others, she fled Detroit and sought safety and freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad. Elizabeth made her way to Windsor, Ontario, and later returned as a free woman in Detroit, where she worked as a domestic and eventually became an investor and landowner. 

In the early 19th century, slavery was a pervasive institution in the United States, with the Northern states usually regarded as free from this harsh system. Denison's life in Detroit demonstrates that this was not always the case, and in the early years, slavery still existed in Michigan. Denison's experience demonstrates the importance of the Underground Railroad, a covert network of paths and safe places led by Black and White individuals. Freedom seekers were helped on their long trips thanks in large part to people in the Border States, communities in places like Southern Ohio, and also families in Detroit who helped those traveling on the Underground Railroad reach Canada.

Although historical records about her life are limited, her story remains a crucial part of Michigan's history. After achieving freedom, Denison had the opportunity to build a new life, demonstrating the gradual eventual end of slavery in Northern states shaped by court decisions and the actions of those who opposed the extension of slavery.

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mappingdetroitslavery.com. “Mapping Slavery in Detroit — Map,” n.d. https://mappingdetroitslavery.com/map.php.

Thursday, Mickey Lyons |, August 20, and 2015. “A Remarkable Tale of Slavery and Opportunity in Early Detroit.” Metromode, n.d. https://www.secondwavemedia.com/metromode/features/grosse-ile-elizabeth-denison-082015.aspx.

Cox, Anna-Lisa. “A Pocket of Freedom: Blacks in Covert, Michigan, in the Nineteenth Century.” The Michigan Historical Review 21, no. 1 (1995): 1. https://doi.org/10.2307/20173490.

Michigan Women Forward. “Elizabeth Denison Forth,” n.d. https://miwf.org/timeline/elizabeth-denison-forth/.

elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org. “Elmwood Historic Cemetery - Elizabeth Denison Forth ‘Lisette.’” Accessed July 27, 2023. https://elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org/events-tours/biographies/62-elizabeth-denison-forth-lisette.