The name United Empire Loyalists is given to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. Some sought to recover fortunes (land and private property) lost under laws enacted by the Continental Congress as a way of financing the revolution. Most, however, are believed to have fled north to escape persecution and because they rejected the republican ideals of the American Revolution, which they regarded as anarchistic. A portion of the Loyalists were recent settlers in the 13 colonies and had few economic or social ties to leave. These Loyalists settled in what was initially Quebec (including the Eastern Townships) and modern-day Ontario, where they received land grants of two hundred acres per person, and in Nova Scotia (including modern-day New Brunswick). Their arrival marked the beginning of a predominantly English-speaking population in the future Canada west and east of the Quebec border. Britannia gives a heros welcome to returning American Loyalists. ... British North America consisted of the loyalist colonies and territories (i. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... George III redirects here. ... This article is about military actions only. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... The Eastern Townships (in French les Cantons de lest) is a region in south central Quebec, lying between the Saint Lawrence River and the US border. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 11 Senate seats 10 Confederation July 1, 1867... This article is about the Canadian province. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Origins and history

During the American Revolution, a significant proportion of the population of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, East Florida and other colonies was determined to remain loyal to the crown and desired to remain within the British Empire. The reasons were as varied as the people themselves, but the overriding principle was the traditional loyalty to the King.

Joseph Brant Thayendenegea.

Loyalists began leaving at the end of the war whenever transport was available. An estimated 70,000 Loyalists, approximately 62,000 white and 8,000 blacks (representing about 3% of the total American population of which 20-30% supported the Crown during the American War for Independence), left the thirteen newly independent states: 46,000 to Canada; 7,000 to Britain and 17,000 to the Caribbean. Beginning in the mid-1780s and lasting until the end of the century, however, a small percentage chose to return from the Caribbean and Nova Scotia. Image File history File links Joseph Brant painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1786 Oil on canvas 23. ... Image File history File links Joseph Brant painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1786 Oil on canvas 23. ...

Following the end of the Revolution and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Loyalist soldiers and civilians 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), received some 32,000 Loyalist refugees, and Quebec (including the Eastern Townships and modern-day Ontario) received some 10,000 refugees. Painting by Benjamin West depicting (from left to right) John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. ... This article is about the state. ... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

The arrival of the Loyalists led to the division in the war of independence 1783 into the provinces of Upper Canada in what is now Ontario and Lower Canada in what is now Quebec. The creation of Upper and Lower Canada allowed the Loyalists to live under English laws and institutions while the French-speaking population of Lower Canada could maintain French civil law and the Catholic religion. Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York(later renamed Toronto in 1834) 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council... Map of Lower Canada (green) Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791-1841). ...

Realizing the importance of some type of recognition, on November 9, 1789, Lord Dorchester, the governor of Quebec and Governor General of British North America, declared "that it was his Wish to put the mark of Honour upon the Families who had adhered to the Unity of the Empire." ^[1] As a result of Dorchester's statement, the printed militia rolls carried the notation: is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1789 (MDCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Sir Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (1724-1808) was a British soldier who served as Governor of the Province of Quebec. ...

Those Loyalists who have adhered to the Unity of the Empire, and joined the Royal Standard before the Treaty of Separation in the year 1783, and all their Children and their Descendants by either sex, are to be distinguished by the following Capitals, affixed to their names: U.E. Alluding to their great principle The Unity of the Empire.

Sir John Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire and later Nova Scotia.

Some of the richest and most prominent Loyalists went to Britain to rebuild their lives, and many received pensions. Southern Loyalists, some even taking along their slaves, went to the West Indies and the Bahamas, particularly to the Abaco Islands. Image File history File links Governor_John_Wentworth. ... Image File history File links Governor_John_Wentworth. ... John Wentworth (1737-1820) was the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an independent English_speaking nation in the West Indies. ...

Thousands of Iroquois and other pro-British Native Americans were expelled from New York and other states and resettled in Canada. The descendants 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. Another smaller group of Iroquois settled on the shores of the Bay of Quinte in modern day South-eastern Ontario. A group of Black Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia but, facing discrimination there, some emigrated again for Sierra Leone. First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor M̩tis. ... For other uses, see Iroquois (disambiguation). ... Joseph Brant, painted in London by leading court painter George Romney in 1776 Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (c. ... Six Nations of the Grand River is the name applied to two contiguous Indian reserves southeast of Brantford, Ontario, Canada РSix Nations reserve no. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor M̩tis. ... In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band. ...

Many of the Loyalists were forced to abandon substantial amounts of property, and restoration or compensation for this lost property was a major issue during the negotiation of the Jay Treaty in 1795. Negotiations rested on the concept of the American negotiators 'advising' the Congress to provide restitution. For the English this concept carried significant legal weight, far more than it did with the Americans; the U. S. Congress declined to accept the advice. More than two centuries later, some of the descendants of Loyalists still assert claims to their ancestors' property in the United States. The Treaty The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain averted war, solved many issues left over from the Revolution, and opened ten years of peaceful trade in the midst of a large war. ...

Today

Modern-day descendants of those original refugees often apply the term United Empire Loyalist to themselves, using "UE" as postnominal letters; the honorific is one of few hereditary titles in Canada, though this is disputed by some ^[2] Such everyday practice is rare, even in the original Loyalist strongholds like southeastern Ontario. However, it is used extensively by historians and genealogists. Post-nominal letters also called Post-nominal initials or Post-nominal titles are letters placed after the name of an individual to indicate that that individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. ... An honorific is a word or expression that conveys esteem or respect and is used in addressing or referring to a person. ... A title is a prefix or suffix added to a persons name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. ...

In Canadian heraldry, Loyalist descendants are also entitled to use a Loyalist coronet in their coat of arms. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

A version of the Union Flag as used from 1707 to 1801, which can still be seen as a common Loyalist symbol in certain parts of Canada.

The influence of the Loyalists on the evolution of Canada remains. Their ties with Britain and their antipathy to the United States provided the strength needed to keep Canada independent and distinct in North America. The Loyalists' basic distrust of republicanism and "mob rule" influenced Canada's gradual "paper-strewn" path to independence. In effect, the new British North American provinces of Upper Canada (the forerunner of Ontario) and New Brunswick were created as places of refuge for the United Empire Loyalists. The mottos of the two Provinces reflect this history - Ontario's motto is "Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet" (Loyal she began, loyal she remains), New Brunswick's motto is: "Spem Reduxit" (Hope restored). Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Empire_Loyalists. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Empire_Loyalists. ... Union Jack redirects here. ... Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, with an emphasis on liberty, rule by the people, and the civic virtue practiced by citizens. ... Ochlocracy (Greek: οχλοκρατια; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a disorganized mass of people. ... Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York(later renamed Toronto in 1834) 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council... This article is about the Canadian province. ...

The word "Loyalist" appears frequently in school, street, and business names in loyalist-settled communities such as Belleville, Ontario. The nearby city of Kingston was established as a loyalist stronghold, named in honour of King George III. There is also a township named Loyalist in the suburban outskirts of Kingston. Belleville (2006 population 48,821, metropolitan population 91,518)[1] is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. ... Murney Tower, Kingston The Fort Henry Guard performing an historical demonstration The Prince George Hotel. ... The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. ... Loyalist is a township in central eastern Ontario, Canada on Lake Ontario. ...

In 1996, Canadian politicians John Godfrey and Peter Milliken sponsored the Godfrey-Milliken Bill, which would have entitled Loyalist descendents to reclaim ancestral property in the United States that was confiscated by the American government during the American Revolution. The bill, which did not pass in the House of Commons, was primarily intended as a satirical response to the contemporaneous American Helms-Burton Act. Hon. ... Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, MP, BA , MA , LL.B (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. ... Godfrey-Milliken Bill, officially the The American Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Loyalty) Act was a Private Members Bill introduced in the Canadian parliament by Liberal MPs Peter Milliken and John Godfrey. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996 (better known as the Helms-Burton Act) is a United States federal law which strengthens and continues the United States embargo against Cuba. ...

List of Loyalist settlements in present-day Canada

A view of the Thousand Islands region of eastern Ontario.

Monument to United Loyalists. Fountain in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

18th-century names are listed first, alongside their present-day equivalents. Panoramic view of several of the Thousand Islands in the Saint Lawrence River, as viewed from New York towards Ontario (taken Sept. ... Panoramic view of several of the Thousand Islands in the Saint Lawrence River, as viewed from New York towards Ontario (taken Sept. ... Sunset over one of the smallest islands. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 2414 KB) Picture of fountain in Loyalist Burial Ground, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 2414 KB) Picture of fountain in Loyalist Burial Ground, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ...

• Antigonish, Nova Scotia
• Belleville, Ontario
• Buell's Bay → Brockville, Ontario
• Butlersbury → Newark → Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
• Cataraqui → Kingston, Ontario
• Clifton → Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Cornwall, Ontario
• Eastern Townships, Quebec
• Effingham, Ontario
• Grimsby, Ontario
• Merrittsville → Welland, Ontario
• Port Roseway → Shelburne, Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward County, Ontario
• Saint John, New Brunswick
• Six Nations and Brantford, Ontario
• St. Andrews-by-the-Sea → St. Andrews, New Brunswick
• St. Anne's Point → Fredericton, New Brunswick
• The Twelve → Shipman's Corners → St. Catharines, Ontario
• York → Toronto

Motto: Highland Heart of Nova Scotia Location of Antigonish, Nova Scotia Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province Image:Flag of Nova Scotia. ... Belleville (2006 population 48,821, metropolitan population 91,518)[1] is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. ... Brockville is located in the Thousand Islands region on the St. ... Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Region Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake (2001 population 13,839) is a town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Murney Tower, Kingston The Fort Henry Guard performing an historical demonstration The Prince George Hotel. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from Niagara Falls State Park across the river. ... Location of Cornwall in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario Coordinates: , Country Province Founded 1784 Government  - Mayor Bob Kilger Population (2006)  - Total 45,965 (Ranked 100)  - Metro 58,485   source: Statistics Canada Time zone EST (UTC-5)  - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) Website: http://www. ... The Eastern Townships (in French les Cantons de lest) is a region in south central Quebec, lying between the Saint Lawrence River and the US border. ... Effingham is a hamlet on the Twelve Mile Creek in the northern part of Town of Pelham in Ontario, Canada. ... Location of Grimsby in the Niagara Region Grimsby (2001 population 21,297) is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Welland (formally The Corporation of City of Welland; 2001 population 48,402) is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada. ... The Cox Warehouse on Dock St. ... The Corporation of the County of Prince Edward is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Saint John[3] is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. ... Six Nations of the Grand River is the name applied to two contiguous Indian reserves southeast of Brantford, Ontario, Canada – Six Nations reserve no. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country Province Established May 31, 1877 Government  - City Mayor Mike Hancock  - Governing Body Brantford City Council  - MP Lloyd St. ... For the parish in New Brunswick with the same name see St. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Fredericpolis silvae filia noblis (Fredericton noble daughter of the forest) Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 131. ... Nickname: Motto: Industry and Liberality Location of St. ...

See also

• Loyalist (American Revolution)
• Canadian honorifics

Britannia gives a heros welcome to returning American Loyalists. ... Canada honorifics are few, many of which are maintained from before confederation. ...

References

1. ^ Dorchester Proclamation, transcript at "http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/UNITED-EMPIRE-LOYALIST/2001-05/0989875861"
2. ^ see for example this http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/UNITED-EMPIRE-LOYALIST/2001-05/0989875861 on Rootsweb

Further reading

• Christopher Moore; The Loyalists: Revolution, Exile, Settlement; 1984, ISBN 0-7710-6093-9.
• W. Stewart Wallace; The United Empire Loyalists: A Chronicle of the Great Migration; Volume 13 of the "Chronicles of Canada (32 volumes); 1914, Toronto.
• "The Book of Negroes" Lawrence Hill, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. 2007, 486 pages.

External links

• The United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada - fraternal association for descendants of Loyalists
• Example of Loyalist claim from New York state
• E-text of Wallace's Chronicle at Project Gutenberg
• Biography of Loyalist Philip Crouse, ca.1760-1856
• "The Myth of the Loyalist Iroquois", argues that it is misleading to describe Joseph Brant and other Iroquois leaders as "Loyalists"
• Ontario Plaques - The Loyalists In Upper Canada
• Photographs of the United Empire Loyalist monument at Country Harbour, Nova Scotia
• A Short History of the United Empire Loyalists, by Ann Mackenzie, M.A.
• Une Courte Histoire des Loyalistes de l'Empire Uni, French translation of "A Short History of the United Empire Loyalists" by Ann Mackenzie, M.A.
• United Empire Loyalists and Anglicanism
• Haldimand Collection A major source of informations regarding the installation of more than 50 thousand American Loyalists in Canada : Cataraqui, Quebec, Sorel, Nova-Scotia, New-Brunswick