the archives of the colonial elite, and points to 'a group determined to make a place for themselves in colonial society' (Whitfield, 2002, pp. 31, 49).  
The society in which the Black Refugees, Black Loyalists and Jamaican Maroons sought to find a place for themselves embraced slavery; however, by the end of the eighteenth century, the institution was under some pressure. According to Riddell and Winks, the main sources of pressure included the actions of members of the judiciary: in Nova Scotia, the courts often frustrated attempts by enslavers to recover runaways; in New Brunswick, a divided court led to confusion about the rights of enslavers and a growing preference for indentureship. Indentureship was also increasingly preferred in Prince Edward Island (formerly Isle St Jean) and Cape Breton, while in Lower Canada (now Quebec), attempts to pass an abolition act were defeated, even though the courts leaned towards the enslaved whose cases were heard.