What Difficulties Did The Loyalists Encounter While Trying To Settle In Canada?

After the American Revolutionary War, the lives of loyalists towards the British crown became intensely difficult in the newly born country (The United States of America).

For this reason, loyalists had to migrate to other parts of the British Empire. One of those places was British Canada. Early days, in this new place, they faced many difficulties.

In short, the difficulties they faced were:

• Lack of Money 
• Lack of Getting Compatible Places For Building Homes
• Legal Issues of Lands  
• Clearing Jungles
• Black Loyalists Still Faced Discrimination From The Whites
• Growing Crops For Food And More Other Issues.

Description – Difficulties Did The Loyalists Encounter While Trying To Settle In Canada

Some historical estimation shows, around 15 to 20 percent of 13 colonies’ total population was loyal to the British Crown.

This percentage covered all the loyalists, including Blacks and Whites.

(Here you can learn how blacks became loyal)

In 1781 at the Battle of Yorktown, British Royal forces had to face heavy defeat. British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington, and it ended the Revolutionary War.

After the happening, the people of the 13 colonies established their own rule and formed a new nation, they named it the United States of America.

But in this new nation, a new problem was born. The people who were before loyal to the British Crown now started facing discrimination and harassment from the groups of revolutionaries.

Even some groups of patriots started brutality by robbing and killing loyalists.

This was the reason, why, in the Southern part of the country, they also had to fight many battles against patriots.

Getting rid out of these security issues, most of them (more than half of them) started migrating to Canada and settled in some of its provinces.

Those provinces were such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, etc.

However, during the initial days, the loyalists had to encounter so many difficulties settling there.

Due to they were the new settlers in those provinces, they faced many problems.

Those problems were like:

• Lack of money
• Lack of getting a compatible place for building homes
• Clearing jungles
• Black loyalists still faced discrimination from Whites
• Legal issues of lands
• Growing crops for food, and more other issues. 

These things made their lives harder than ever before.

The reason is very simple, actually, before the revolution, they lived luxurious lives (Only whites, not blacks) under British rule.

But, when the harassment started increasing rapidly, they had to leave all their properties there and moved to British Canada.

Although, some of them also migrated to England and became English citizens, while others migrated to Jamaica, Bahamas, etc places.

After Independence, Why American Revolutionary Groups Became Hostile Towards Loyalists?

Because loyalists supported the rule of the British Crown in the 13 colonies.

Under the English administration, they enjoyed some privileges.

But contrary to the loyalists’ will, the revolutionaries intended to throw out the British rule from the colonies under any circumstances.

For fulfilling this intention, they were even giving up their lives during the Revolutionary War.

So, when they succeeded in achieving freedom at the end of the war and established their own rule, they started taking hostile actions against the loyal group of people.

How Many Black People Became Loyalists? 

In 1775, the English governor of Virginia province, named ‘Lord Dunmore’ encouraged Black slaves of the American slaveowners to bear up arms against patriots; in return, he promised them freedom after the war.

As a result of this declaration, 80,000 to 100,000, Black slaves ran away from their masters and became loyalists.

Read more about Lord Dunmore’s proclamation here: Link.