Expulsion of the Loyalists facts for kids
During the American Revolution, some people chose to stay loyal to King George III and the British Empire. These people were called Loyalists. Others, known as Patriots, wanted independence and fought for the Revolution.
Historians believe that about 15 to 20 percent of the white population in the Thirteen Colonies were Loyalists, which was around 500,000 people. After Great Britain lost the war to the Americans and the French, many active Loyalists felt they could no longer stay in the new United States. They decided to move to other parts of the British Empire. However, most Loyalists (about 80-90%) actually stayed in the United States and became full citizens.
Around 60,000 white settlers left the new United States. Most of them—about 33,000—went to Nova Scotia (with 14,000 going to what became New Brunswick). Another 6,600 went to Quebec (which included modern-day Ontario at the time), and 2,000 went to Prince Edward Island. About 5,000 white Loyalists moved to Florida (which was then controlled by Spain), bringing about 6,500 enslaved people with them. Around 7,000 white Loyalists and 5,000 free Black Loyalists went to Great Britain. Some studies suggest the total number of people who left might have been closer to 100,000.
The British government offered free land in British North America to the departing Loyalists. Many of these Loyalists were important colonists whose families had settled in America a long time ago. Others were newer settlers with fewer strong ties. Patriots often took away their property. Later, in the 1790s and early 1800s, about 30,000 more Americans, called 'Late Loyalists,' moved to Ontario. They were promised land if they swore loyalty to the King.
Loyalists settled in what was then the Province of Quebec (including modern-day Ontario) and in Nova Scotia (including modern-day New Brunswick). Their arrival brought a large English-speaking population to what would become Canada. Many Loyalists from the American South brought their enslaved people with them, as slavery was also legal in Canada at the time. However, many Black Loyalists were free, having gained their freedom by fighting for the British during the Revolution. The government helped nearly 3,500 free Black Loyalists settle in New Brunswick.
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Why Loyalists Stayed Loyal
Loyalists remained loyal to Britain for several reasons. Some felt a strong connection to the King and didn't want to rebel against the Crown. Others believed that independence should happen peacefully and gradually, not through war. As Daniel Bliss, who later became a Chief Justice in New Brunswick, once said, "Better to live under one tyrant a thousand miles away, than a thousand tyrants one mile away." This meant they preferred the distant rule of the King over what they saw as many local rulers.
Loyalists Fighting Back
Loyalists sometimes fought back against the Patriots. Groups like "Butler's Rangers" were formed. John Butler, a wealthy landowner, didn't agree with the idea of independence. So, during the Revolution, he created a guerrilla force. Their goal was to disrupt the American Army's supplies, discourage settlers, and attack Patriot groups similar to their own.
Attacks on Loyalists
Loyalists faced attacks from two sides: through official laws and from angry mobs. Patriots did not tolerate Loyalists who actively supported the King.
British officials were often the first to be attacked by angry crowds. One of the worst mobs was in Boston. In 1765, during protests against the Stamp Act, large crowds in Boston attacked and destroyed the homes of British officials like Andrew Oliver and Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson. The owners barely escaped.
In 1770, a mob in Boston threw snowballs at British troops. The troops fired without orders, killing five people in what became known as the Boston Massacre. In 1773, Bostonians, some dressed as Native Americans, threw tea into Boston Harbor during the famous Boston Tea Party. This was a protest against the Tea Act. In response, the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts. These laws took away Massachusetts's self-rule and sent General Thomas Gage to govern the area.
The anger of the Patriots spread across all 13 colonies. In New York, they destroyed printing presses that published pro-British writings. They also broke windows, stole animals, and destroyed property. A common punishment for Loyalists they didn't like was tarring and feathering. Another painful punishment was riding the rail.
After the Battle of Yorktown, the British only controlled New York City. This city became the main place where Loyalists left America. The British Army stayed there until November 1783.
Many Loyalists who chose to leave lost a lot of property in the new United States. The British government gave some money to help them. They also tried to get the U.S. to return the property. This was discussed during the Jay Treaty negotiations in 1794. The U.S. government "advised" the states to give back the property. Even today, some descendants of Loyalists still claim their ancestors' property in the United States.
Where Loyalists Settled
Moving to Great Britain
Some of the wealthiest and most important Loyalists moved to Britain. Loyalists from the southern colonies, many with their enslaved people, went to the West Indies and the Bahamas.
About 6,000 of the Loyalists who left went to London or other places in Britain. Many had been important people in America, but now they felt like strangers. It was hard for them to find good jobs; only 315 received government pensions. Many of them found British society to be very different and uncomfortable. They often advised other Loyalists still in the United States to stay there rather than move to Britain. Some even returned to the United States later.
Moving to British North America
Many Loyalist refugees settled in Canada after losing their homes and safety during the Revolution. These Loyalists, some whose families had helped found America, left behind a population that was against the King. They helped build the new nation of Canada. The motto of New Brunswick, which was created for Loyalist settlement, became "Hope Restored."
Loyalist refugees, later called United Empire Loyalists, started leaving at the end of the war as soon as they could find transport. They lost a lot of property and wealth. An estimated 85,000 people left the new nation, which was about 2% of the total American population. Around 61,000 were white (who also had 17,000 enslaved people), and 8,000 were free Black Loyalists. Of the white Loyalists, 42,000 went to Canada, 7,000 to Britain, and 12,000 to the Caribbean.
After the Revolution ended and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, Loyalist soldiers and civilians were moved from New York. They were resettled in other British colonies, especially in what would become Canada. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick together received about 33,000 Loyalist refugees. Prince Edward Island received 2,000. Quebec (including modern-day Ontario) received about 10,000 refugees, including 6,600 white Loyalists and several thousand Iroquois from New York State. Some Loyalists, especially in Nova Scotia, found it hard to settle successfully and eventually returned to the United States or moved to Ontario. Many in Canada kept in touch with their relatives in the United States and traded across the border.
Thousands of Iroquois and other Native Americans who supported the British were forced to leave New York and other states. They resettled in Canada. The descendants of one Iroquois group, led by Joseph Brant, settled at Six Nations of the Grand River. This is now the most populated reserve for First Nations in Canada. Smaller Iroquois groups settled on the shores of the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario and on the Akwesasne Reserve in Quebec.
The government settled many Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia. However, they didn't get enough support when they arrived. The government was slow to survey their land, meaning they couldn't settle quickly. They also received smaller land grants in less convenient places than white settlers in Nova Scotia. Because of competition for jobs and low pay, they also faced unfair treatment from some white settlers. When Great Britain created the colony of Sierra Leone in Africa, about one-third of the Black Loyalists moved there. They hoped for a chance to govern themselves and established Freetown.
Changes in Quebec
The arrival of 10,000 Loyalists in Quebec in 1784 changed the political balance there. The growing number of English-speaking people encouraged them to demand more recognition from the colonial government. To bring back stability, King George III sent Governor Guy Carleton back to Quebec.
The situation in Quebec had changed a lot in ten years. There were simply too many English-speaking people who didn't want to compromise with the 145,000 French-speaking Canadiens or the governor. The authorities believed that the two groups couldn't live together easily. So, Governor Haldimand (following Carleton's idea) encouraged Loyalists to move away from Quebec City and Montreal. He offered them free land (about 200 acres per person) on the northern shore of Lake Ontario if they swore loyalty to King George III. This plan was meant to keep the French and English populations as separate as possible. As a result, the Province of Quebec was divided in 1791, forming Lower Canada (mostly French-speaking) and Upper Canada (mostly English-speaking), each with its own government.
New Brunswick is Formed
Fourteen thousand Loyalists created a new settlement along the Saint John River. Soon after, these Loyalists asked for their own colony. In 1784, Great Britain divided Nova Scotia into two parts: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Colonel Thomas Carleton, Guy Carleton's younger brother, became New Brunswick's first lieutenant-governor. He held this position for the next 30 years.
