Home > Loyalist (American Revolution)

Loyalists (capitalized L) were British North American colonists who remained loyal subjects of the British crown during the American Revolutionary War. They were also called Tories or " King's Men". Those Loyalists settling in what would become Canada are often called United Empire Loyalists. Their colonial opponents were the Patriots, who supported the Revolution.

Loyalists were loosely associated with Anglicanism in the same way that Patriots were associated with Presbyterianism. They also enjoyed the reputation of being relatively wealthier and better-educated than their Patriot opponents; but there were also many Loyalists of humble means, particularly in New York's Mohawk Valley and on the frontiers of Georgia and South CarolinaSouth Carolina ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Palmetto State Other U. States Capital Columbia Largest City Columbia Governor Mark Sanford Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 78,051 km² 4,915 km² 6% Population Total ( 2000) Densi.

party was in a minority even after the Declaration of Independence.

The greater number of the Loyalists were to be found in the present state of New York, where the capital was in possession of the British from September, 1776This article is about the year 1776. For the musical, see 1776 (musical Events January 10 Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense March 17 American Revolutionary War: British forces evacuate Boston, Massachusetts after George Washington places artillery overl, until the evacuation in 1783Events February 3 American Revolutionary War: Spain recognizes United States independence. February 4 American Revolutionary War: Great Britain formally declares that it will cease hostilities with the United States of America. May 18 Saint John, New Brun. They were also the majority in Pennsylvania and the southern colonies of South Carolina and Georgia. In all the other states they represented a large minority of the elites of their respective communities.

During the war, about 50 militaryMilitary (from latin militarius miles "soldier") as an adjective describes anything related to soldiers and warfare. Used as a noun, it is equivalent to Armed force. See also Armed force Martial art Militaria Military history Military rule Military by cou units were made up of Loyalists, many of whom had their lands or property seized. It is estimated that there were actually from thirty to thirty-five thousand, at one time or other, enrolled in regularly organised corps, without including the bodies which waged guerilla warfare in South Carolina and elsewhere. A large number of Loyalist families took refuge in New York CitySkyline, with Statue of Liberty New York, New York" redirects here. For alternate meanings, see New York, New York (disambiguation). New York — officially named City of New York and often called New York City to distinguish it from the state of New York, and Long Island. Other Loyalists reestablished a pro-British colonial government in Georgia.

An estimated 70,000 Loyalists left the Thirteen Colonies, about 3% of the total population. Loyalists began leaving early in war when transport was available. In areas under Patriot control, they were subject to confiscation of property and even tar and feathering or worse. They could be arrested for being loyal to the British, some were even blackmailed, whipped, abused, threatened, and attacked by mobs of Revolutionaries.

Following the end of the American Revolution, or American War of Independence, at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the Loyalist soldiers and ordinary British subjects were evacuated from New York and resettled in other colonies of the British Empire, most notably in the future Canada: the two colonies of Nova Scotia (including modern-day New Brunswick, receiving in total some 25,000 Loyalist refugees) and Canada (including the Eastern Townships and modern-day Ontario, receiving altogether some 10,000 refugees). This group of people are most often referred to as United Empire Loyalists. In effect, the new British North American provinces of Upper Canada (the forerunner of Ontario) and New Brunswick were founded as places of refuge for the United Empire Loyalists. For a consideration of Loyalists' role in the formation of English Canadian identity, see Canadian identity.

Others who left the former 13 colonies and returned to Britain are also referred to as Loyalists. Still others, particularly Southern Loyalists, went to the Bahamas, particularly to the Abaco Islands.

Many Native Americans also left the 13 colonies for Canada. The descendents of one such group of Iroquois, led by Joseph Brant Thayendenegea, settled at Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest First Nations Reserve in Canada. A group of Black Loyalists left Nova Scotia and settled in Sierra Leone.

Many of the descendants of Loyalists still make claim to their ancestors' property in the United States. They wait until the day that the current regime is overthrown so that they may reclaim their property rights which they assert were taken away from them by a small group of revolutionaries that had no respect for property rights. Most would say that their claims are too ancient, or that the change in circumstance that resulted from the overthrow of the British prevents any such claims from being recognized through customary international law because as the British recognized the independence of the colonies the United States thereafter had sovereign status to determine property rights within U.S. territory; but this is no more than to say that any commitment may be repudiated at the price of future credibility.

See also: Martin v. Hunter's Lessee