Canadian History 11

In 1776, the Patriots had an army of 18,000 of poorly armed and trained men. The British had a force of 30,000. Yet, the Patriots were victors. How did this happen?

The British could easily conqueror cities; however, they had trouble in the countryside. The Patriots shot at them from behind trees and used other hit-and-run tactics. This guerilla warfare wore down the British army. The Patriots gained experience and started winning battles. In 1778, France signed an alliance with the Patriots. In 1781, the British surrendered to George Washington’s army

The peace treaty went into effect in 1783 In the treaty, Britain agreed to do the following: ◦ Recognize American Independence ◦ Turn over to the United States all the land from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast between the Great Lakes and Florida ◦ Give the Americans fishing rights off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. In return, Britain wanted the Loyalists paid back for the losses they suffered during the war. The Congress agreed, but the Loyalists were never paid.

After the peace treaty was signed, Loyalist soldiers often found that they could not return home. The Law of Forfeiture in NY allowed rebel agents to evict the wives and children of British regiments. They then sold the property to Patriots at a fraction of the value. Thousands of Loyalists were in refugee camps in New York City Loyalist forces were rewarded for their role in the war. Many were transported to British colonies, such as NS. They received special land grants for their service. Sir Guy Carleton had a difficult time evacuating the Loyalists. There were not enough ships to carry the people, so the convoys had to make several trips. As a result, the Loyalists were set ashore in the wilderness with only what they could carry.

The Loyalists were given a few supplies: salted meat, biscuits, flour, tools, guns and tents. The arrival of the Loyalists had a profound effect on the colonies. Many of the Loyalists who arrived in the St. John River Valley, NS were well educated. They had their own ideas about how the colony should be run. Halifax was far away and unconcerned about the Loyalists. The St. John Loyalists therefore wanted their settlement to become a separate colony. In 1784, the British government created the new colony of New Brunswick.

Thousands of Loyalists fled to present-day Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI. By 1784, 40,000 Loyalists had arrived in British North America. The Loyalists who came to these British colonies cleared and settled new land. They helped to open up and develop the land that would one day become Canada.