America's Loyalists : Where Did They Go After The War?

This is the story of the paths taken by American Loyalists after the war - their struggles to find a new home, and the new parts of the empire they found themselves in.

Primary source was Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World among other texts.

As a proud American, I've always been fascinated by the question of what happened to the third of the country who fought for the British. This video was my attempt to tell their story - with sympathy. Obviously if we were to make a video on the back and forth miseries perpetuated by each side, the video would be far too long - so this video's scope is simple: tell the Loyalists' story, and tell it fairly. I hope you enjoy.

Some music included:

[EsotericHistoryTime]

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[DiMacky]

My paternal ancestor was on the Mayflower. 200 years later, his descendents had their lands confiscated and fled with what little they could bring to New Brunswick because they were loyalists, where they started all over again. Fast forward 150 more years and my great grandfather emigrates from Canada to Michigan, and that's how I am both a mere 4th generation American, while also being descended from Plymouth settlers some 15 generations back.

[densnow]

There’s a word for surviving Loyalists: Canadians

[lindsayheyes]

Thank you to all the Loyalists, from me in 🇬🇧, and I suspect too from many Canadians. But thanks too to the U S Patriots:
You never forgot how your freedoms evolved from British freedoms, and from Magna Carta, our own Civil War, our Glorious Revolution, and the philosophical development of the British Enlightenment - and your Revolution was certainly an emanence of all that. These common values are surely why we are friends today, and all of us free, and why you came to our aid twice in our times need to fight for our common freedoms.

God bless you all.

[astralclub]

My ancestor, Dr. John Pyle, was a loyalist commander. He was defeated and captured in “Pyle’s Massacre”. He went on to serve the Colonial Army as a doctor because he admired George Washington. After the war, Washington pardoned him for his service.

[scott]

One ex-slave who fought with the British went on to found a chocolate company in England…was convicted of theft and so was transported to Sydney as a convict…then was granted land and appointed harbour master by the governor. William (Billy) Blue…Blue’s point, right next to Sydney Harbour Bridge, is still named after him.

[Mikedeela]

My several great grandfather was ice fishing on the Chesapeake Bay when he was captured by loyalists and forced to work for them. He hadn’t been involved in the war before that, but after he escaped he joined the Virginia militia and fought until the end of the war. He would have rather been fishing, but he was pissed off.

[Savvysnek]

We definitely learned more about the Loyalists in Canadian schools. Cause it was the first big migration of the people that would become English Canadians. Before the war, most of Canada was colonized by the French, as Britain had only recently conquered it in the 7 years war.

[CapWalks]

In the 1970s, my father met someone from Canada with the same name as one of our Revolutionary ancestors. Unbeknownst to us, one side of the family that had been living in Boston were loyalists who evacuated Boston with the British Army and resettled in Canada. We had no idea that the family had a pro-British faction.

[heronimousbrapson]

When the Americans invaded British Canada in the war of 1812, they assumed that the locals would welcome them as liberators from the oppression of British rule. They soon learned that this was not the case. Many of those who fought against the invasion were loyalists (or their immediate descendents) who remembered too well the mistreatment they received from the Americans. US forces were defeated and expelled from the colony.

[genghiscalm]

Ah yes. I'm right in the middle of loyalist country in southern Ontario. I got to attend Loyalist College, have driven on Loyalist Parkway, and occasionally ventured into Loyalist Township. One could say we're a pretty loyal bunch around here.

[romiguma]

Canadian here. I’ll spare you the name dropping, but many of my ancestors on both sides of my family were loyalists who migrated to both southern Ontario and New Brunswick, including some six nations. I appreciate the content!

[johnds]

Thank you for making this video!
My loyalist ancestry is integrally involved with the American revolution. My direct ancestor fought for the British, was captured and imprisoned in Philadelphia. His cousin signed the declaration of Independence for the State of New Jersey. He was captured by the British and while imprisoned, signed loyalty to the King. After the war, my ancestor was "encouraged" to leave the new country.

[genesickler]

My ancestor was a German Heitian soldier who was hired by British to fight against the colonists that after the end of the war loved America so much he stayed.

[DouglasJenkins]

I lived in the Bahamas for about 5 yrs, and met Bahamians whose Loyalist relatives had moved there. Some were from New England (now in Abaco and Eleuthera) and from the Carolinas (Grand Bahama). It was interesting to see the houses with steep pitched roofs built to slough off snow as would be necessary in their former New England homes. This was actually helpful during heavy tropical rains!

[keithball]

My England born ggg grandfather was a young man when he British soldier in Baltimore at the time of the revolutionary war. He settled in Quebec City and was sheriff after the War of Independence. In the War of 1812, he was British soldier based on Drummond Island near SS Marie. When Drummond Island was awarded to the Americans in the Treaty of Ghent, he "transferred" to the new naval base in Penetanguishene Ontario. He was Captain of the Barracks till he retired at age 93 to his farm. He died at age 94 in 1845. Sentlow Rawson was his name, and he has many descendants in Simcoe County Ontario, including the current mayor of Penetanguishene.

[kennethlowrie]

I had a number of ancestors who were loyalists. One group lived in New Hampshire and helped the British army. After the revolution, they were resettled in New Brunswick. Another group lived in the Carolinas and, after the revolution, ultimately wound up in the Bahamas.

[Mrchky]

My German farmer ancestors emigrated in the 1730's to Pennsylvania. They were Loyalists and when the war broke out they moved to Southern, Ontario and fought in Butler's Rangers against the Rebels. After the war they got land grants from The Crown on the North shore of Lake Erie. I grew up 20 miles away in the US and had no idea of any of this until I found it online, including the original land grants and the maps showing the parcels. Spent many summers at the beach there blissfully unaware I had any connection to the land or the history of the area.

[PalmettoNDN]

I have ancestry in the Cherokee, Tuscarora, Chickasaw and Catawba tribes. All to varying degrees sided with Loyalists. The Chickasaws were staunch Loyalists and considered themselves British subjects. Most of my white ancestors were continentals. The family ties with whites my Native ancestors had at the time, like brother in laws, uncles, etc. tended to be loyalists but most of them that weren't married to Natives or imbedded into Native nations went to Canada. I have one mixedblood Tuscarora uncle that was a colonel and commanded loyalist forces in the western Carolina frontier. He later went to Canada and became a judge and ardent abolitionist.

[markfomenko]

Working class loyalists often moved west into Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Southern Missouri. The Ozark region was considered dangerous for decades and was bypassed by settlers.