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

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Loyalist story was part of my history curriculum in New Brunswick. You forgot to mention that the fate of the enslaved who fought for the King was to end up in Nova Scotia. They were not treated well at all and many left later to found Sierra Leone

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.

My family were longtime settlers coming to America in the 1640s . They later decided that as Quaker pacifists and Loyalists it was safer to live in New York at Albany. From there they made there way to Ontario where George III granted them 200 acres of land as.one.of. them.served as messenger for the British Army in the war . Finally in 1903 my great grandfather moved west and succeeding generations like myself occupy Western Canada . Very fascinating history and I have been blessed to trace back to 13 generations. Thanks for the history lesson.

An ancestor of mine was born in New York prior to the revolution but he and his family fled from persecution at the hands of the Patriots to New Brunswick after the war. As Americans today we should remember that we didn't fight some foreign invader for our independence we fought ourselves and there are truly are two sides of history.

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.

Very interesting essay. As a Canadian,we were aware of the United Empire Loyalists, but never realized the complexities surrounding their creation and subsequent lives.

I’m sitting here in my home on Brunswick Street in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. The old houses of prominent Loyalists in the province’s history are all around me. Some are still lived in, others have been converted to apartments or businesses. They are a fascinating living history of New Brunswick’s origins.

Many went to Canada which is why it was ironic when the US, sort of by proxy, attempted to invade Canada thought that those same people would join them.

This is another side of history that is not often told. Thanks.

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!