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The Loyalists: Revolution, Exile, Settlement
In 1783 and 1784, some fifty thousand Americans felt that they could not support the revolution against Britain. They were called Loyalists – and there would be no place for them in the new United States.
As they streamed into the Canadian colonies to the north, they changed forever the face of settlement there. Their arrival would eventually lead to the formation of the provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario.
First published in hardcover in 1984, the bicentenary of the migration, The Loyalists tells the very human story of these people – of the societies that shaped them, the attitudes that motivated them, and the circumstances that determined their future and influenced the future of Canada. It went on to win the Secretary of State's Prize for Excellence in Canadian Studies.
As they streamed into the Canadian colonies to the north, they changed forever the face of settlement there. Their arrival would eventually lead to the formation of the provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario.
First published in hardcover in 1984, the bicentenary of the migration, The Loyalists tells the very human story of these people – of the societies that shaped them, the attitudes that motivated them, and the circumstances that determined their future and influenced the future of Canada. It went on to win the Secretary of State's Prize for Excellence in Canadian Studies.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
5 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Moore
25 books11 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(2)
Christopher Moore has been described as Canada's most versatile writer of history. Twice a winner of the Governor General's Award (and other literary prizes), he writes widely about Canadian history for adults and children. He has also developed historical materials for historic sites, museums, radio, and television, and he speaks frequently to a wide variety of audiences.
He writes a long-running column on history and historians for Canada's History Magazine. A past chair of the Writers' Union of Canada, Christopher Moore lives in Toronto.
(2)
Christopher Moore has been described as Canada's most versatile writer of history. Twice a winner of the Governor General's Award (and other literary prizes), he writes widely about Canadian history for adults and children. He has also developed historical materials for historic sites, museums, radio, and television, and he speaks frequently to a wide variety of audiences.
He writes a long-running column on history and historians for Canada's History Magazine. A past chair of the Writers' Union of Canada, Christopher Moore lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 8, 2022
Page 108 my book Bostonian Mather Byles
“Which is better – to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?”
Loyalists (sometimes called Tories) were those opposed to the American secessionists during the War of Independence. Even though the United States declared independence in 1776 the fighting still continued – more or less ending in 1783 when the British signed a treaty with the U.S. ending their struggle to regain control of the thirteen colonies (or states).
The War of Independence was in fact a civil war between the Tories and the rebel Americans. Thousands of refugees went to New York City – and it became the last stronghold of the loyalists.
The author explains the causes of both the rebels and the loyalists of this civil war – of why some wanted to secede and others wanted to remain under British rule.
Page 55
Once the language of liberty dominated politics, the conspiratorial mindset ensured that whatever decisions Britain took would be interpreted as further evidence of conspiracy, until all trust in royal authority had been replaced with fear, suspicion, and hostility.
The concept of liberty played a large role. The civil war became a struggle with the American forces under George Washington, who formed guerilla units that harassed and attacked British troops (with their loyalist guides). The British troops had been optimistically sent from Great Britain, thinking that they could easily quell this upstart rebellion. The Loyalists formed their own militia groups in New York City, and also in upstate New York, where they could and did retreat into Canada. This became significant because in the following years they banded together and aided each other when they left the United States for different parts of Canada.
Page 116
When territorial control remained in dispute, destruction of property was as common as seizure. Each side waged economic warfare against the other, partly to supply their troops, partly to punish their enemies.
Page 123
All the experiences of the loyalists’ war – persecution, flight, loss, and service in loyal military regiments – reinforced and made permanent the sense of exile that the pre-revolutionary agitations had been breeding in thousands of American loyalists… thousands of loyalist refugees, though they had not become British, had ceased to see themselves as Americans. They now rooted their identity in their wartime regimental affiliation, their service to the loyal cause, or simply their place as part of the vast and dispersed community that the war had created, the community of loyalists.
While some of these refugees went back to England and some to the Caribbean – the bulk moved to Canada. By boat, they sailed to Nova Scotia (Halifax and Shelburne). They more than doubled up the population of Nova Scotia. The province of New Brunswick was created because of the influx of refugees there.
Page 183 in 1783
Walter Bates recalled the St., John River [New Brunswick] homesite… as “nothing but wilderness before our eyes. The women and children did not refrain from tears.” Another loyalist had “climbed to the top of Chipman’s Hill and watched the sails disappearing in the distance, and such a feeling of loneliness came over me that, although I had not shed a tear through all the war, I sat down on the damp moss with my baby in my lap and cried.” That memory of arriving in Canada to confront hardships, and isolation was preserved in the loyalist community for generations.
They quickly found out that the land in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was not as fertile and fruitful as the lands in New York and Pennsylvania. Winters were harsh and long, but many persisted. Some left to go to Montreal and others to Upper Canada (now part of the province of Ontario) to settle on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Conditions there were somewhat better. Ironically, they were later joined by many Americans who were attracted by the farming prospects in Upper Canada. Many loyalist soldiers and their families settled in Quebec after repelling the American invasion of 1775. They settled in Montreal, the Eastern Townships (near the U.S. border) and faraway in the Gaspe.
This was an influx of people who were essentially pioneers – in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper Canada. They strove, worked hard, and succeeded over the long years.
By the late 1780s the animosity in the new United States between the two sides in the American war for Independence had dissipated. Some loyalists returned to their original habitat in the United States – and readjusted to the new country.
Another slight against George Washington was that he wanted freed slaves returned before they set off from New York in 1783. He saw them as “property” that had to be restored as per the peace treaty of 1783 between Great Britain and the United States. On the other hand, the freed Blacks were not treated equitably in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick – they were not given the same land subsidies as were given to the white loyalists.
I gained much knowledge of my country, Canada, from this book. There were only about 150,000 Canadiens (French Canadians, now called Quebecois) living in Quebec at the time. This huge influx of refugees altered forever the demographics and geography of Canada.
“Which is better – to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?”
Loyalists (sometimes called Tories) were those opposed to the American secessionists during the War of Independence. Even though the United States declared independence in 1776 the fighting still continued – more or less ending in 1783 when the British signed a treaty with the U.S. ending their struggle to regain control of the thirteen colonies (or states).
The War of Independence was in fact a civil war between the Tories and the rebel Americans. Thousands of refugees went to New York City – and it became the last stronghold of the loyalists.
The author explains the causes of both the rebels and the loyalists of this civil war – of why some wanted to secede and others wanted to remain under British rule.
Page 55
Once the language of liberty dominated politics, the conspiratorial mindset ensured that whatever decisions Britain took would be interpreted as further evidence of conspiracy, until all trust in royal authority had been replaced with fear, suspicion, and hostility.
The concept of liberty played a large role. The civil war became a struggle with the American forces under George Washington, who formed guerilla units that harassed and attacked British troops (with their loyalist guides). The British troops had been optimistically sent from Great Britain, thinking that they could easily quell this upstart rebellion. The Loyalists formed their own militia groups in New York City, and also in upstate New York, where they could and did retreat into Canada. This became significant because in the following years they banded together and aided each other when they left the United States for different parts of Canada.
Page 116
When territorial control remained in dispute, destruction of property was as common as seizure. Each side waged economic warfare against the other, partly to supply their troops, partly to punish their enemies.
Page 123
All the experiences of the loyalists’ war – persecution, flight, loss, and service in loyal military regiments – reinforced and made permanent the sense of exile that the pre-revolutionary agitations had been breeding in thousands of American loyalists… thousands of loyalist refugees, though they had not become British, had ceased to see themselves as Americans. They now rooted their identity in their wartime regimental affiliation, their service to the loyal cause, or simply their place as part of the vast and dispersed community that the war had created, the community of loyalists.
While some of these refugees went back to England and some to the Caribbean – the bulk moved to Canada. By boat, they sailed to Nova Scotia (Halifax and Shelburne). They more than doubled up the population of Nova Scotia. The province of New Brunswick was created because of the influx of refugees there.
Page 183 in 1783
Walter Bates recalled the St., John River [New Brunswick] homesite… as “nothing but wilderness before our eyes. The women and children did not refrain from tears.” Another loyalist had “climbed to the top of Chipman’s Hill and watched the sails disappearing in the distance, and such a feeling of loneliness came over me that, although I had not shed a tear through all the war, I sat down on the damp moss with my baby in my lap and cried.” That memory of arriving in Canada to confront hardships, and isolation was preserved in the loyalist community for generations.
They quickly found out that the land in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was not as fertile and fruitful as the lands in New York and Pennsylvania. Winters were harsh and long, but many persisted. Some left to go to Montreal and others to Upper Canada (now part of the province of Ontario) to settle on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Conditions there were somewhat better. Ironically, they were later joined by many Americans who were attracted by the farming prospects in Upper Canada. Many loyalist soldiers and their families settled in Quebec after repelling the American invasion of 1775. They settled in Montreal, the Eastern Townships (near the U.S. border) and faraway in the Gaspe.
This was an influx of people who were essentially pioneers – in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Upper Canada. They strove, worked hard, and succeeded over the long years.
By the late 1780s the animosity in the new United States between the two sides in the American war for Independence had dissipated. Some loyalists returned to their original habitat in the United States – and readjusted to the new country.
Another slight against George Washington was that he wanted freed slaves returned before they set off from New York in 1783. He saw them as “property” that had to be restored as per the peace treaty of 1783 between Great Britain and the United States. On the other hand, the freed Blacks were not treated equitably in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick – they were not given the same land subsidies as were given to the white loyalists.
I gained much knowledge of my country, Canada, from this book. There were only about 150,000 Canadiens (French Canadians, now called Quebecois) living in Quebec at the time. This huge influx of refugees altered forever the demographics and geography of Canada.
May 3, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and enlightening to read about the Revolutionary War from a Canadian historian’s perspective. I also learned many new things about Canada’s history.
August 17, 2018
Quite enjoyable, and the ‘Settlement’ section nearly perfectly describes the path taken by my ancestors into and after the war. My only complaint is the author’s repeated connection of the Jessup brothers and their followers with Vermont, when they are known to have grown up in New York and remained there until the war.
June 10, 2024
An enlightened view from a loyalist perspective, of the US revolution and the exodus of some to newlands. Easy to read with overviews and individual stories that I found both educational and thought provoking.
Found that Liberty could be used as a political term used to justified many activities including the ownership of slaves. Chapter two had a discussion about conspiracy theories that aren't to far off what's happening today. Good read.
Found that Liberty could be used as a political term used to justified many activities including the ownership of slaves. Chapter two had a discussion about conspiracy theories that aren't to far off what's happening today. Good read.
October 3, 2025
I was interested in learning what became of those who remained loyal to the Crown during and after the war. While this book does provide interesting anecdotes old stories of individuals, it did not deliver as well as I was hoping. The first parts are strong but there is so much repetition in the second half of the book that it begins to slog. Still a worthwhile read.
July 21, 2023
If we want things to stay as they are, everything must change.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews