55-825: Captain John Deserontyon (alt. Captain John, Deseronto, (Odeserundiye)), U.E.L (c. 1740s - 1811) was a Mohawk war chief allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War . He led his people to Upper Canada after the war, settling on land granted by the Crown at the Bay of Quinte in present-day Ontario . This reserve, initially settled primarily by Mohawk loyalists from the Lower Castle,
110-574: A Loyalist stronghold, was named in honour of King George III . And on the outskirts of that city is a township simply named " Loyalist ". Canada's 2021 Census estimates a population of 10,015 who identify as having United Empire Loyalist origins, based on a 25% sample. On 1 July 1934, Royal Mail Canada issued "United Empire Loyalists, 1776–1784" designed by Robert Bruce McCracken based on Sydney March 's sculpture United Empire Loyalists . In 1996, Canadian politicians Peter Milliken (a descendant of American Loyalists) and John Godfrey sponsored
165-568: A handsome house and 82 acres (330,000 m) of rich flat land. He had a wagon, plough, harrow, and ten beaver traps. This area was known as the Lower Castle. During this war he sided with the British and the loyalist Johnson family. He accompanied Guy Johnson when he left for Canada in the summer of 1775. Deseronto went back to the Mohawk valley the following year and met with Sir John Johnson . In May 1776, he again met with Sir John Johnson and helped him escape to Montreal . In July 1777, Deseronto
220-747: A shorthand for identifying the ancestry of particular families. The influence of the Loyalists on the evolution of Canada remains evident. Their ties with Britain and 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. The new British North American provinces of Upper Canada (the forerunner of Ontario) and New Brunswick were created as places of refuge for
275-701: A total of about 2,000 slaves to British North America: 500 in Upper Canada (Ontario), 300 in Lower Canada (Quebec), and 1,200 in the Maritime colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The presence and condition of slaves in the Maritimes would become a particular issue. They constituted a larger portion of the population, but it was not an area of plantation agriculture. The settlers eventually freed many of these slaves. Together with
330-615: Is a town in Herkimer County , New York , United States. The population was 1,587 at the 2010 census . The town is named after falls and rapids on the Mohawk River nearby. The town of Little Falls is bordered on the east by the separate city of Little Falls . Both town and city are east of Utica . It was formed in 1829 from the town of Herkimer . According to the United States Census Bureau ,
385-697: Is also celebrated on the same day in Saskatchewan , on 18 May in New Brunswick and on 22 July in British Columbia . The Loyalists paid attention to their history developing an idealized image of themselves in which they took great pride. In 1898, Henry Coyne provided a glowing depiction: The Loyalists, to a considerable extent, were the very cream of the population of the Thirteen Colonies. They represented in very large measure
440-515: Is an east-west highway north of the Mohawk River. New York State Route 5S is an east-west highway south of the Mohawk River. The town is surrounded by hills. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,544 people, 580 households, and 454 families residing in the town. The population density was 68.9 inhabitants per square mile (26.6/km ). There were 637 housing units at an average density of 28.4 per square mile (11.0/km ). The racial makeup of
495-711: Is known as Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario . Deseronto, Ontario is named for him. John Deseronto (alt. Deserontyon, Odeserundiye in Mohawk, meaning "The Lightning has Struck") was born in the 1740s, most likely in the Mohawk Valley . Educated in a colonial school, he had become acculturated to white customs. In 1759, during the French and Indian War , the North American front of the Seven Years' War between Britain and France, he took part allied with
550-734: The American Revolution . At that time, the demonym Canadian or Canadien was used by the descendants of New France settlers inhabiting the Province of Quebec . They settled primarily in Nova Scotia and the Province of Quebec. The influx of loyalist settlers resulted in the creation of several new colonies. In 1784, New Brunswick was partitioned from the Colony of Nova Scotia after significant loyalist resettlement around
605-508: The Bay of Fundy . The influx of loyalist refugees also resulted in the Province of Quebec's division into Lower Canada (present-day Quebec ), and Upper Canada (present-day Ontario ) in 1791. The Crown gave them land grants of one lot. One lot consisted of 200 acres (81 ha) per person to encourage their resettlement, as the Government wanted to develop the frontier of Upper Canada. This resettlement added many English speakers to
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#1732797603206660-617: The British Army and the sedentary units of the Canadian Militia . American leaders assumed that Canada could be easily overrun, with former president Thomas Jefferson optimistically describing the potential conquest of Canada as "a matter of marching". Many Loyalist Americans had migrated to Upper Canada after the Revolutionary War. However, there was also a significant number of non-Loyalist American settlers in
715-731: The Godfrey–Milliken Bill , which would have entitled Loyalist descendants to reclaim ancestral property in the United States which had been confiscated during the American Revolution . The bill, which did not pass the House of Commons , was intended primarily as a satirical response to the contemporaneous American Helms–Burton Act . In 1997, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed a bill declaring 19 June, "United Empire Loyalist Day" in Ontario . United Empire Loyalist Day
770-788: The Iroquois , led by Joseph Brant Thayendenegea , settled at Six Nations of the Grand River , the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. A smaller group of Iroquois led by Captain John Deserontyon Odeserundiye , settled on the shores of the Bay of Quinte in modern-day southeastern Ontario. The government settled some 3,500 Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but they faced discrimination and
825-631: The Provincial Marine , or with the sedentary militia. With the successful defence of the Canadian colonies from American invasion, the War of 1812 is seen by Loyalists as a victory. After the war, the British government transported to New Brunswick and settled about 400 of 3,000 former slaves from the United States whom they freed during and after the war. It had fulfilled its promise to them of freedom if they left Patriot slaveholders and fought with
880-666: The American South; they suffered from this discrimination and the harsh winters. When Great Britain set up the colony of Sierra Leone in Africa, nearly 1300 Black Loyalists emigrated there in 1792 for the promise of self-government. And so 2,200 remained. The Black Loyalists that left established Freetown in Sierra Leone. Well into the 20th century, together with other early settlers from Jamaica and slaves liberated from illegal slave ships, and despite vicious attacks from
935-565: The Bay of Quinte. About 200 Mohawk, primarily from the Lower Castle, settled with Deseronto at what is now called the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario . Deseronto was personally granted a lump sum payment of about £800 for his losses, 3,000 acres (12 km) of land, and an annual pension of £45. The Canadian government acceded to Joseph Brant's desire and arranged for the Mohawk of the Upper Castle to settle at
990-527: The British in the Battle of Fort Niagara , and the following year he was at the Battle of Quebec , and participated in the capture of Montreal with Amherst . In the summer of 1764, he accompanied John Bradstreet in the attack on Fort Detroit at the end of Pontiac's Rebellion . When the American Revolution started, Deseronto was a chief of the Mohawk, living at Fort Hunter where he owned
1045-487: The British. Enslaved African Americans risked considerable danger by crossing to British lines to achieve freedom. While the honorific "United Empire Loyalist" is not part of the official Canadian honours system , modern-day descendants of Loyalist refugees may employ it, sometimes using "U.E." as postnominal letters . The practice, however, is uncommon today, even in original Loyalist strongholds like southeastern Ontario. Historians and genealogists use it extensively as
1100-609: The Canadian population. It was the beginning of new waves of immigration that established a predominantly Anglo-Canadian population in the future Canada both west and east of the modern Quebec border . Following the end of the American Revolutionary War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, both Loyalist soldiers and civilians were evacuated from New York City, most heading for Canada. Many Loyalists had already migrated to Canada, especially from New York and northern New England, where violence against them had increased during
1155-715: The Fort Hunter families and several prominent loyalists, totaling about 150 persons. The villagers had abandoned their homes after hearing about the sacking of the Mohawk Upper Castle by rebel patriots. Deseronto's party had to fight through a 40-man scouting party, consisting of soldiers from the New Hampshire Continental regiments, to reach Burgoyne's camp. They reported killing seven of the Americans, brought in four scalps, and Deseronto
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#17327976032061210-595: The Grand River, at what became known as the Six Nations Reserve. In 1797, Deseronto and Joseph Brant went to New York to meet with state leaders. In exchange for a small sum, they agreed to extinguish Mohawk land claims within New York. This treaty was never ratified by Congress, and later land claims by Native American nations were based on the state's lack of constitutional authority to conduct such land negotiations and agreements with Native Americans. It
1265-505: The Mohawk valley and he was at the Battle of Klock's Field . In 1781 he led multiple raids into the Mohawk valley destroying mills and cattle and taking prisoners. In the spring of 1782, Deseronto and Captain Isaac Hill destroyed the mill at Little Falls on the Mohawk and took some prisoners. After the war, Deseronto and Joseph Brant , a major war leader of the Upper Castle, met with Governor Frederick Haldimand of Canada to discuss
1320-641: The New England states alone, more than 10% of the population can trace their roots to the Maritime Provinces. Two million more of 14 million inhabitants, or roughly 15%, are part or wholly of French Canadian descent. The United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC) is an organization of Loyalist descendants and others interested in Canadian history, in particular the role of the United Empire Loyalists. The organization
1375-443: The United Empire Loyalists. The mottoes of the two provinces reflect this history: Ontario's, also found on its coat of arms, is Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet ("Loyal she began, loyal she remains"); New Brunswick's, Spem Reduxit ("Hope restored"). The word "Loyalist" appears frequently in school, street, and business names in such Loyalist-settled communities as Belleville, Ontario . The nearby city of Kingston , established as
1430-462: The United States. As some families split in their loyalties during the war years, many Loyalists in Canada continued to maintain close ties with relatives in the United States. They conducted commerce across the border with little regard to British trade laws. In the 1790s, the offer of land and low taxes, which were one-quarter those in America, for allegiance by Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe resulted in
1485-400: The United States. Most were loyal to all things British, but other Loyalists supported the United States in the War of 1812. Conrad and Finkel conclude: [I]n using their history to justify claims to superiority, descendants of the Loyalists abuse the truth and actually diminish their status in the eyes of their non-Loyalists neighbours ... The scholars who argue that the Loyalists planted
1540-492: The area due to the offer of land grants to immigrants. The Americans assumed the latter population would favour the American cause, but they did not. Although the population of Upper Canada included recent settlers from the United States who had no obvious loyalties to the Crown, the American forces found strong opposition from settlers during the War of 1812. A number of loyalists served as fencibles , provincial regulars, in
1595-528: The arrival of 30,000 Americans often referred to as Late Loyalists. By the outbreak of the War of 1812, of the 110,000 inhabitants of Upper Canada, 20,000 were the initial Loyalists, 60,000 were later American immigrants and their descendants, and 30,000 were immigrants from the UK, their descendants or from the Old Province of Quebec . The later arrival of many of the inhabitants of Upper Canada suggests that land
1650-415: The concept of the United States negotiators "advising" the U.S. Congress to provide restitution. For the British, this concept carried significant legal weight, far more than it did to the Americans; the U.S. Congress declined to accept the advice. Slave-owning Loyalists from across the former Thirteen Colonies brought their slaves with them to Canada, as the practice was still legal there . They took
1705-425: The defeat of France in the Seven Years' War . With the creation of Upper and Lower Canada, most Loyalists in the west could live under British laws and institutions. The predominantly ethnic French population of Lower Canada, who were still French-speaking, could maintain their familiar French civil law and Catholic religion. Realizing the importance of some type of recognition, on 9 November 1789, Lord Dorchester ,
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1760-534: The depiction of them in the Sandham painting which suggests the arrivals were well-dressed upper-class immigrants. Loyalists soon petitioned the government to be allowed to use the British legal system, which they were accustomed to in the American colonies, rather than the French system. Great Britain had maintained the French legal system and allowed freedom of religion after taking over the former French colony with
1815-507: The fort. After St. Leger had retreated, Deseronto stayed behind to enjoy a meal at the British commander's table. A scouting party from the fort found Deseronto in St. Leger's tent and shot him with buck and ball in the left arm and breast. Deseronto was seriously wounded and almost lost his arm. He continued to Fort Hunter, where he set about preparing the village for a mass departure. On 4 September, he arrived at General John Burgoyne 's camp with
1870-472: The free Black Loyalists, many chose to go to Sierra Leone in 1792 and following years, seeking a chance for self-government. Meanwhile, the British Parliament passed an imperial law in 1790 that assured prospective immigrants to Canada that they could retain their slaves as property. In 1793, an anti-slavery law was passed, in the 1st Parliament of Upper Canada . The Act Against Slavery banned
1925-685: 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". As a result of Dorchester's statement, the printed militia rolls carried the notation: Those Loyalists who have adhered to the Unity of the Empire, and joined the Royal Standard before the Treaty of Separation in
1980-546: The importation of slaves into the colony, and mandated the emancipation of all children born henceforth to female slaves upon reaching the age of 25. The Act was partially introduced due to the influx of the number of slaves brought by Loyalist refugees to Upper Canada. The slave trade was abolished across the British Empire in 1807. The institution of slavery was abolished Empire-wide by 1834 (except in India , where it
2035-553: The indigenous peoples that nearly ended the Maroon colony, they and their descendants dominated the culture, economy and government of Sierra Leone. Numerous Loyalists had been forced to abandon substantial amounts of property in the United States. Britain sought restoration or compensation for this lost property from the United States, which was a major issue during the negotiation of the Jay Treaty in 1795. Negotiations settled on
2090-635: The learning, the piety, the gentle birth, the wealth and good citizenship of the British race in America, as well its devotion to law and order, British institutions, and the unity of the Empire. This was the leaven they brought to Canada, which has leavened the entire Dominion of this day. According to Canadian historians Margaret Conrad and Alvin Finkel, Coyne's memorial incorporates essential themes that have often been incorporated into patriotic celebrations. The Loyalist tradition, as explicated by Murray Barkley and Norman Knowles, includes: The elite origins of
2145-522: The loss of their land in New York. Haldimand promised to resettle the Mohawk near the Bay of Quinte , on the north east shore of Lake Ontario (in present-day Ontario , Canada). Brant decided that he preferred to settle on the Grand River . Brant and Johnson ridiculed Deseronto's decision to stay at the Bay of Quinte. Haldimand purchased and granted the Mohawks a tract 12 by 13 miles (21 km) on
2200-518: The refugees, their loyalty to the British Crown, their suffering and sacrifice in the face of hostile conditions, their consistent anti-Americanism, and their divinely inspired sense of mission. Conrad and Finkel point out some exaggerations: only a small percentage of the Loyalists were colonial elite. In fact Loyalists were drawn from every stratum of colonial society, and few suffered violence and hardship. About 20 percent would later return to
2255-588: The same inadequate support that all Loyalists experienced. Delays in making land grants, but mostly the willingness of the blacks to under-cut their fellow Loyalists and hire themselves out to the few available jobs at a lower wage aggravated racist tensions in Shelburne. Mobs of white Loyalists attacked Black Loyalists in the Shelburne Riots in July 1784, Canada's first so-called "race" riot. The government
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2310-576: The seeds of Canadian liberalism or conservatism in British North America usually fail to take into account not only the larger context of political discussion that prevailed throughout the North Atlantic world, but also the political values brought to British North America by other immigrants in the second half of the 18th century. From the 1870s, many of their descendants returned to the United States in pursuit of cheaper land. In
2365-634: The time of the American Revolution , this was the flag in use. When those loyal to the Crown left the United States for British North America , they took this flag with them, and because of this historical connection, it continues to be the official flag of the UELAC. In Canadian heraldry , Loyalist descendants are entitled to use a Loyalist coronet in their coat of arms . 18th-century names are listed first, alongside their present-day equivalents. Little Falls (town), New York Little Falls
2420-456: The town has a total area of 22.5 square miles (58.3 km ), of which 22.4 square miles (57.9 km ) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km ), or 0.72%, are water. The Mohawk River and the Erie Canal cross the central portion of the town. North-south highways New York State Route 169 and New York State Route 170 converge on the city of Little Falls. New York State Route 5
2475-550: The town was 98.51% White , 0.26% Black or African American , 0.06% Native American , 0.71% Asian , 0.06% from other races , and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population. There were 580 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who
2530-596: The war. The Crown-allotted land in Canada was sometimes allotted according to which Loyalist regiment a man had fought in. This Loyalist resettlement was critical to the development of present-day Ontario, and some 10,000 refugees went to Quebec (including the Eastern Townships and modern-day Ontario). But Nova Scotia (including modern-day New Brunswick) received three times that number: about 35,000–40,000 Loyalist refugees. An unknown but substantial number of individuals did not stay; they eventually returned to
2585-554: 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: UE or U.E. Alluding to their great principle The Unity of the Empire. Because most of the nations of the Iroquois had allied with the British, which had ceded their lands to the United States, thousands of Iroquois and other pro-British Native Americans were expelled from New York and other states. They were also resettled in Canada. Many of
2640-771: Was considered an indigenous institution ). From 1812 to 1815, the United States and the United Kingdom were engaged in a conflict known as the War of 1812 . On 18 June 1812, US President James Madison signed the declaration of war into law, after receiving heavy pressure from the War Hawks in Congress. By 1812, Upper Canada had been settled mostly by Revolution-era Loyalists from the United States (United Empire Loyalists) and postwar American and British immigrants. The Canadas were thinly populated and only lightly defended by
2695-451: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median income for
2750-401: Was freshly wounded. The American rolls showed five killed and three missing for several days as confirmed by their being accounted for on later rolls. The Fort Hunter Mohawks settled at La Chine, near Montreal, and were supplied by the British in exchange for the war service. In 1779 Deseronto led two scouting parties up the Richelieu Valley . In 1780, he took part in Sir John Johnson's raid on
2805-406: Was incorporated on 27 May 1914 by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario . In 1972, the organization was granted a coat of arms from the College of Arms through a letter patent, dated 28 March 1972. On 17 April 1707, Queen Anne issued a proclamation referencing the use of the Union Flag "at Sea and Land". The Union Flag began to appear on forts and as regimental colours from this point, and at
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#17327976032062860-450: Was reserved to the federal government. Deseronto died 7 January 1811 at the Mohawk settlement on the Bay of Quinte in Upper Canada . United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalist ( UEL ; or simply Loyalist ) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester , the Governor of Quebec and Governor General of the Canadas , to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America during or after
2915-454: Was slow to survey the land of Black Loyalists (which meant they could not settle); it was also discriminatory in granting them smaller, poorer, and more remote lands than those of white settlers; not counting those Loyalists who were resettled in what would become Upper Canada, in general, or around the Bay of Quinte, in specific. This increased their difficulties in becoming established. The majority of Black Loyalists in Canada were refugees from
2970-411: Was the leader of a Mohawk party that assessed the defences of Fort Stanwix . On 14 July, they surprised and attacked Ensign John Spoor's work detail as it was outside the fort cutting sod. Deseronto passed the information that the fort was strongly garrisoned back to Daniel Claus . Barry St. Leger decided to proceed without adequate artillery. Deseronto took part the Battle of Oriskany and the siege of
3025-470: Was the main reason for immigration. The arrival of the Loyalists after the Revolutionary War led to the division of Canada into the provinces of Upper Canada (what is now southern Ontario ) and Lower Canada (today's southern Quebec ). They arrived and were largely settled in groups by ethnicity and religion. Many soldiers settled with others of the regiments they had served with. The settlers came from every social class and all thirteen colonies, unlike
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