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Period: to
Loyalist migrations to British North America
All citations for images will be in the bibliography -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was imposed to increase the amount of revenue coming from the various states within the British Empire to subsidize the cost of defending the large Empire. The colonies were upset by this act, with some refusing to use stamps in addition to rioting, burning stamps and producing imitation stamps. Jeff Wallenfeldt, "American Revolution Timeline", Britannica (N.D)https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-the-american-revolution Accessed January 31, 2021 -
Boston Massacre
A small British army detachment was in Boston. They were threatened by mob harassment, the soldiers opened fire and killed five people. The soldiers were charged with murder and were given a civilian trial. Jeff Wallenfeldt, "Boston Massacre." Encyclopedia Britannica, (March 2020) https://www.britannica.com/event/Boston-Massacre Accessed January 31, 2020 -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. The American colonist was frustrated with the British. They dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbour in protest. History.com Editors, "Boston Tea Party", A&E Television Networks (October, 2009) https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party Accessed January 31 2020 -
Invasion of Quebec
In September of 1775, General Richard Montgomery led American rebel forces on the first major battle of the war. During this campaign, he and his soldiers captured Fort Chambly in Québec and eventually captured Fort Saint-Jean outside Montréal in November. The Americans would come to occupy Montreal on November 28th, 1775. On December 31st, American forces would attempt a siege of Quebec but would be forced to surrender under counterattack from the British. (Sprague, Invasion of Canada) -
Declaration of Independence adopted
The American Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and would be later revised by a committee. On July 2 the document was presented to Congress and was voted upon. Congress voted for independence. It would be on July 4 the Declaration was adopted, declaring the 13 colonies separated from the British, forming the United States of America. (Jeff Wallenfeldt, "American Revolution Timeline") -
Rebel Actions in Nova Scotia
A band of New England rebels and disaffected Nova Scotians joined forces in hopes of seizing the colony of Nova Scotia. Some Nova Scotians were sympathetic to the colonists, as a majority of their non-indigenous population came from the 13 colonies prior to the War of Independence. The rebels would attack Fort Cumberland, however, the British would hold the fort just long enough for reinforcement troops to arrive. (D.N. Sprague, 2015) -
Main Wave of Loyalist Settlement
The main waves of Loyalists came to British North America in 1783 and 1784. 30,000 Loyalists would come to settle in the Maritime provinces, specifically Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. Two of the main settlements were in the Saint John River valley, in New Brunswick, and temporarily at Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Only about 2,000 Loyalists moved to Lower Canada (Quebec) and about 7,500 moved to present-day Ontario.
(Wilson, 2019) -
Indigenous Population
The Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy from Upper New York State received a land grant along the Grand River. This area would later be named Brantford after their leader Joseph Brant. The Indigenous population received this land for their loyalty to Britain during the war.
(Wilson, 2019) -
Black Loyalist Refugees
During the War, thousands of free or enslaved black people fought for the British in hopes of gaining freedom and land. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war, more than 3,000 free blacks or formerly enslaved people settled in Nova Scotia, with the largest populations moving to Birchtown near Shelburne. The black Loyalist did not receive what they hoped, the majority of the former slaves did not receive land grants and were forced to take low paying jobs.
(Whitfield,2008) -
Treaty of Paris Ends the War
After the Americans defeated the British at Yorktown, the battles of the war slowed. It would establish a boundary between the newly-independent American colonies and remaining British territories in North America. This treaty marked the end of the war. (Jaenen, 2014) -
Colonies of New Brunswick and Cape Breton
Due to the increased population, new settlements needed to be made to house the loyalists. Between 1783 and 1785, approximately 15,000 individuals would arrive in the soon to be colony of New Brunswick. They would overwhelm the original 400 plus civilians and troops living there. The colony of Cape Breton was created to deal with the influx in population. (Wilson, 2019) (Huskins)
