Misplaced Pages

#267732

126-452: The son of John H. Sleeman, an immigrant from England, and Ann M. Burrows, George Sleeman was born in then- Upper Canada in the village of St. David's (present day Niagara-on-the-Lake ) and was educated there and in Guelph . The family moved to Guelph in 1857 and in 1859, he became general manager of his father's Silver Creek Brewery; six years later he became a partner. Sleeman fully took over

252-665: A 20-year friendship although they wrote about different sides of the war. Macaulay wrote from a loyalist British perspective whereas Warren wrote about her support for the American Revolution. Macaulay's work include History of England and Warren wrote History of the Rise , Progress , and Termination of the American Revolution. Although both women's works were unpopular, during this time, it pushed them to learn from social critique. Rebel agents were active in Quebec (which

378-414: A large concentration of Loyalists, many of whom were refugees from other states. According to Calhoon, Loyalists tended to be older and wealthier, but there were also many Loyalists of humble means. Many active Church of England members became Loyalists. Some recent arrivals from Britain, especially those from Scotland, had a high Loyalist proportion. Loyalists in the southern colonies were suppressed by

504-461: A loyalist or a patriot; the label was dependent on their husband's political association. However, some women showed their loyalty to the crown by continually purchasing British goods, writing it down, and showing resistance to the Patriots. Grace Growden Galloway recorded the experience in her diary. Her writings show the difficulties that her family faced during the revolution. Galloway's property

630-466: A new society. First, the cash-strapped Crown government in Canada could pay and reward the services and loyalty of the "United Empire Loyalists" who, originated outside of Canada, without encumbrance of debt by being awarded with small portions of land (under 200 acres or 80 hectares) with the proviso that it be settled by those to which it was granted; Second, portions would be reserved for the future use of

756-602: A pitcher for the Guelph Maple Leafs baseball club and later became the team's financial backer. He was the first team manager to import American players; at first, he paid them a share of the profits, but later he paid his players salaries. He encouraged other teams to do so in the new Canadian Association of Base Ball Players, of which he was president. In 1869, the Leafs squad won the Canadian championship and Sleeman

882-479: A proclamation 16 July 1792 divided these districts into the nineteen original counties of Ontario: Glengarry, Stormont, Dundas, Grenville, Leeds, Frontenac, Ontario, Addington, Lennox, Prince Edward, Hastings, Northumberland, Durham, York, Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent. By 1800, the four districts of Eastern, Midland, Home and Western had been increased to eight, the new ones being Johnston, Niagara, London and Newcastle. Additional districts were created from

1008-634: A provincial convention – which the government considered dangerous and seditious. Gourlay was tried in December 1818 under the 1804 Sedition Act and jailed for 8 months. He was banished from the province in August 1819. His expulsion made him a martyr in the reform community. The next wave of organised Reform activity emerged in the 1830s through the work of William Lyon Mackenzie , James Lesslie , John Rolph , William John O'Grady and Dr Thomas Morrison , all of Toronto. They were critical to introducing

1134-616: A regular army status, enrolled 19,000 Loyalists (50 units and 312 companies). The maximum strength of the Loyalist provincial line was 9,700 in December 1780. In all about 19,000 at one time or another were soldiers or militia in British forces. Loyalists from South Carolina fought for the British in the Battle of Camden . The British forces at the Battle of Monck's Corner and the Battle of Lenud's Ferry consisted entirely of Loyalists with

1260-731: A similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. They held a consultative position, however, and did not serve in administrative offices as cabinet ministers do. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the Legislative Assembly but were usually members of the Legislative Council. The Legislative branch of the government consisted of

1386-628: A son of Loyalists, participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion which sought relief from oligarchic British colonial government and pursued American style Republicanism . He was arrested, tried and executed in Toronto , and later became heralded as a patriot to the movement which led to Canadian self-governance. The wealthiest and most prominent Loyalist exiles went to Great Britain to rebuild their careers; many received pensions. Many Southern Loyalists, taking along their slaves, went to

SECTION 10

#1732773159268

1512-484: A token of compensation when he returned from England in 1796, his son was allowed to regain the family house. In many States, moderate Whigs, who had not been in favor of separation from Britain but preferred a negotiated settlement which would have maintained ties to the Mother Country, aligned with Tories to block radicals. Among these was Alexander Hamilton in 1782–85, to wrest control of New York State from

1638-574: A treaty of neutrality in the interior community of Ninety Six , South Carolina . For actively aiding the British army when it occupied Philadelphia, two residents of the city were tried for treason, convicted, and executed by returning Patriot forces. As a result of the looming crisis in 1775, the Royal Governor of Virginia , Lord Dunmore , issued a proclamation that promised freedom to indentured servants and slaves who were able to bear arms and join his Loyalist Ethiopian Regiment . Many of

1764-590: Is now modern-day Ontario , the rest to Nova Scotia and PEI. Realizing the importance of some type of consideration, on November 9, 1789, Lord Dorchester , the governor of Quebec, 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

1890-606: Is the epithet applied to an oligarchic group of men who exercised most of the political and judicial power in Upper Canada from the 1810s to the 1840s. It was noted for its conservatism and opposition to democracy. The uniting factors amongst the Compact were its loyalist tradition, hierarchical class structure and adherence to the established Anglican Church. Leaders such as John Beverley Robinson and John Strachan proclaimed it an ideal government, especially as contrasted with

2016-711: The Quebec Act in 1774, which expanded the Quebec colony's authority to include part of the Indian Reserve to the west (i.e., parts of southern Ontario ), and other western territories south of the Great Lakes including much of what would become the United States' Northwest Territory , including the modern states of Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio , Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota . After

2142-559: The Act Against Slavery tried to suppress slavery in Upper Canada by halting the sale of slaves to the United States, and by freeing slaves upon their escape from the latter into Canada. Simcoe desired to demonstrate the merits of loyalism and abolitionism in Upper Canada in contrast to the nascent republicanism and prominence of slavery in the United States , and, according to historian Stanley R. Mealing: However

2268-813: The American War of Independence ended in 1783, Britain retained control of the area north of the Ohio River. The official boundaries remained undefined until 1795 and the Jay Treaty . The British authorities encouraged the movement of people to this area from the United States, offering free land to encourage population growth. For settlers, the head of the family received 100 acres (40 ha) and 50 acres (20 ha) per family member, and soldiers received larger grants. These settlers are known as United Empire Loyalists and were primarily English-speaking Protestants. The first townships (Royal and Cataraqui) along

2394-536: The British Empire . The division was created to ensure the exercise of the same rights and privileges enjoyed by loyal subjects elsewhere in the North American colonies. In 1812, war broke out between Great Britain and the United States, leading to several battles in Upper Canada. The United States attempted to capture Upper Canada, but the war ended with the situation unchanged. The government of

2520-812: The Chartist movement in England. The Canadian Alliance Society was reborn as the Constitutional Reform Society (1836), when it was led by the more moderate reformer, Dr William W. Baldwin. After the disastrous 1836 elections, it took the final form as the Toronto Political Union in 1837. It was the Toronto Political Union that called for a Constitutional Convention in July 1837, and began organising local "Vigilance Committees" to elect delegates. This became

2646-461: The Chesapeake area. Eventually the camp that they had set up there suffered an outbreak of smallpox and other diseases. This took a heavy toll, putting many of them out of action for some time. The survivors joined other Loyalist units and continued to serve throughout the war. African-Americans were often the first to come forward to volunteer and a total of 12,000 African Americans served with

SECTION 20

#1732773159268

2772-654: The English-speaking settlers had arrived following the British conquest of Canada in 1759–1760, and were unlikely to support separation from Britain. The older British colonies, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia (including what is now New Brunswick ) also remained loyal and contributed military forces in support of the Crown. In late 1775 the Continental Army sent a force into Quebec , led by General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnold , with

2898-544: The Ottawa River or Lakes Huron and Superior , excluding any lands within the watershed of Hudson Bay . The "upper" prefix in the name reflects its geographic position along the Great Lakes , mostly above the headwaters of the Saint Lawrence River , contrasted with Lower Canada (present-day Quebec ) to the northeast. Upper Canada was the primary destination of Loyalist refugees and settlers from

3024-729: The West Indies , particularly to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas . Certain Loyalists who fled the United States brought their slaves with them to Canada (mostly to areas that later became Ontario and New Brunswick ) where slavery was legal . An imperial law in 1790 assured prospective immigrants to Canada that their slaves would remain their property. However, a law enacted by eminent British lieutenant general and founder of modern Toronto John Graves Simcoe in 1793 entitled

3150-493: The colony came to be dominated by a small group of persons, known as the " Family Compact ", who held most of the top positions in the Legislative Council and appointed officials. In 1837, an unsuccessful rebellion attempted to overthrow the undemocratic system. Representative government would be established in the 1840s. Upper Canada existed from its establishment on 26 December 1791 to 10 February 1841, when it

3276-533: The parliament comprising legislative council and legislative assembly . When the capital was first moved to Toronto (then called York) from Newark (present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake ) in 1796, the Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada were at the corner of Parliament and Front Streets, in buildings that were burned by US forces in the War of 1812, rebuilt, then burned again by accident in 1824. The site

3402-658: The 1790s attracted by Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe 's policy of land and low taxes, one-fifth those in the US and swearing an oath of allegiance to the King. The 36,000 or so who went to Nova Scotia were not well received by the 17,000 Nova Scotians, who were mostly descendants of New Englanders settled there before the Revolution. "They [the Loyalists]", Colonel Thomas Dundas wrote in 1786, "have experienced every possible injury from

3528-541: The Bahamas, and about 13,000 went to Britain (including 5,000 free blacks). The total is 60–62,000 whites. A precise figure cannot be known because the records were incomplete and inaccurate, and small numbers continued to leave after 1783. The 50,000 or so white departures represented about 10% of the Loyalists (at 20–25% of the white population). Loyalists (especially soldiers and former officials) could choose evacuation. Loyalists whose roots were not yet deeply embedded in

3654-548: The British Political Unions to Upper Canada. Political Unions were not parties. The unions organised petitions to Parliament. The Upper Canada Central Political Union was organised in 1832–33 by Dr Thomas David Morrison (mayor of Toronto in 1836) while William Lyon Mackenzie was in England. This union collected 19,930 signatures on a petition protesting Mackenzie's unjust expulsion from the House of Assembly by

3780-492: The British forces were stationed. Elsewhere there were few British troops and the Patriots seized control of all levels of government, as well as supplies of arms and gunpowder. Vocal Loyalists recruited people to their side, often with the encouragement and assistance of royal governors. In the South Carolina back country, Loyalist recruitment outstripped that of Patriots. A brief siege at Ninety Six, South Carolina in

3906-547: The British from 1775 to 1783. This forced the Patriots to also offer freedom to those who would serve in the Continental Army, with thousands of Black Patriots serving in the Continental Army . Americans who gained their freedom by fighting for the British became known as Black Loyalists . The British honored the pledge of freedom in New York City through the efforts of General Guy Carleton , who recorded

George Sleeman - Misplaced Pages Continue

4032-514: The British or the Americans. Although some Canadians took up arms in support of the rebellion, the majority remained loyal to the King. French Canadians had been satisfied by the British government's Quebec Act of 1774, which offered religious and linguistic toleration; in general, they did not sympathize with a rebellion that they saw as being led by Protestants from New England , who were their commercial rivals and hereditary enemies. Most of

4158-399: The British side in the Revolution went to London and joined the free black community of about 10,000 there. While men were out fighting for the Crown, women served at home protecting their land and property. At the end of the war, many loyalist men left America for the shelter of England, leaving their wives and daughters to protect their land. The main punishment for Loyalist families was

4284-634: The British under Robert Rogers took formal control of the Great Lakes region in 1760. Fort Michilimackinac was occupied by Roger's forces in 1761. The territories of contemporary southern Ontario and southern Quebec were initially maintained as the single province of Quebec, as it had been under the French. From 1763 to 1791, the Province of Quebec maintained its French language, cultural behavioural expectations, practices and laws. The British passed

4410-541: The Crown (for which 22,345 acres (9,043 ha) were set aside), where the revenues would be remitted to the Church. The act also provided for the creation of parish rectories , giving parishes a corporate identity so that they could hold property (although none were created until 1836, prior to the recall of John Colborne , in which he created 24 of them). They were granted lands amounting to 21,638 acres (8,757 ha), of which 15,048 acres (6,090 ha) were drawn from

4536-407: The Crown and the clergy that did not require settlement by which to gain control. Lt. Governor Simcoe saw this as the mechanism by which an aristocracy might be created, and that compact settlement could be avoided with the grants of large tracts of land to those Loyalists not required to settle on it as the means of gaining control. The Calton weavers were a community of handweavers established in

4662-430: The Crown, and to British Caribbean possessions. Northern Loyalists largely migrated to Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , and Nova Scotia . They called themselves United Empire Loyalists . Most were compensated with Canadian land or British cash distributed through formal claims procedures. Loyalists who left the US received over £3 million or about 37% of their losses from the British government. Loyalists who stayed in

4788-630: The De Lancey, De Peyster, Walton and Cruger families undercut the interlocking families that largely owned and controlled the Hudson Valley. Likewise in Pennsylvania, the departure of powerful families—Penn, Allen, Chew, Shippen—destroyed the cohesion of the old upper class there. Massachusetts passed an act banishing forty-six Boston merchants in 1778, including members of some of Boston's wealthiest families. The departure of families such as

4914-550: The Ervings, Winslows, Clarks, and Lloyds deprived Massachusetts of men who had hitherto been leaders of networks of family and clients. The bases of the men who replaced them were much different. One rich Patriot in Boston noted in 1779 that "fellows who would have cleaned my shoes five years ago, have amassed fortunes and are riding in chariots." New men became rich merchants but they shared a spirit of republican equality that replaced

5040-880: The Family Compact. This union was reorganised as the Canadian Alliance Society (1835). It shared a large meeting space in the market buildings with the Mechanics Institute and the Children of Peace . The Canadian Alliance Society adopted much of the platform (such as secret ballot & universal suffrage) of the Owenite National Union of the Working Classes in London, England, that were to be integrated into

5166-534: The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. On 1 February 1796, the capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake ) to York (now Toronto ), which was judged to be less vulnerable to attack by the US. The Act of Union 1840, passed 23 July 1840 by the British Parliament and proclaimed by the Crown on 10 February 1841, merged Upper Canada with Lower Canada to form the short-lived United Province of Canada . Upper Canada's constitution

George Sleeman - Misplaced Pages Continue

5292-545: The Indigenous peoples. Some of the treaties spelled out designated reserve lands for the Indigenous peoples. Following the War of 1812, European settlers came in increasing numbers. The Indian Department focussed on converting the Indigenous peoples to abandon their old way of life and adopt agriculture. The treaties shifted from one-time payments in exchange to annual annuities from the sale of surrendered lands. Between 1825 and 1860, treaties were concluded for nearly all of

5418-612: The Inspector General and the Surveyor General to the board, and made a quorum of three for meetings; these two public officers also sat on the Legislative Council with Strachan. These three were usually members of the Family Compact. The clergy reserves were not the only types of landed endowment for the Anglican Church and clergy. The 1791 Act also provided for glebe land to be assigned and vested in

5544-472: The Loyalists. In areas under Patriot control, Loyalists were subject to confiscation of property , and outspoken supporters of the king were threatened with public humiliation such as tarring and feathering , or physical attack. It is not known how many Loyalist civilians were harassed by the Patriots, but the treatment was a warning to other Loyalists not to take up arms. In September 1775, William Drayton and Loyalist leader Colonel Thomas Fletchall signed

5670-586: The Militia, the Attorney General , the Auditor General of Land Patents for Upper Canada , the Auditor General (only one appointment ever made), Crown Lands Office , Indian Office , Inspector General , Kings' Printer , Provincial Secretary and Registrar's Office , Receiver General of Upper Canada , Solicitor General , and Surveyor General . The Executive Council of Upper Canada had

5796-565: The Patriot War in 1838–39. John Lambton, Lord Durham 's support for " responsible government " undercut the Tories and gradually led the public to reject what it viewed as poor administration, unfair land and education policies, and inadequate attention to urgent transportation needs. Durham's report led to the administrative unification of Upper and Lower Canada as the Province of Canada in 1841. Responsible government did not occur until

5922-400: The Patriots were in control, but Loyalist civilian government was re-established in coastal Georgia from 1779 to 1782, despite the presence of Patriot forces in the northern part of Georgia. Essentially, the British were only able to maintain power in areas where they had a strong military presence. Historian Robert Calhoon wrote in 2000, concerning the proportion of Loyalists to Patriots in

6048-539: The Patriots who took control nearly everywhere in the Thirteen Colonies in 1775–76. Yale historian Leonard Woods Larabee has identified eight characteristics of the Loyalists that made them essentially conservative and loyal to the King and to Britain: Other motives of the Loyalists included: In the opening months of the Revolutionary War, the Patriots laid siege to Boston , where most of

6174-724: The Rev. John Strachan was appointed to the Executive Council, the advisory body to the Lieutenant Governor, in 1815, he began to push for the Church of England's autonomous control of the clergy reserves on the model of the Clergy Corporation created in Lower Canada in 1817. Although all clergymen in the Church of England were members of the body corporate, the act prepared in 1819 by Strachan's former student, Attorney General John Beverly Robinson , also appointed

6300-424: The St. Lawrence and eastern Lake Ontario were laid out in 1784, populated mainly with decommissioned soldiers and their families. "Upper Canada" became a political entity on 26 December 1791 with the Parliament of Great Britain 's passage of the Constitutional Act of 1791 . The act divided the province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada , but did not yet specify official borders for Upper Canada. The division

6426-517: The Thirteen Colonies and expelled all royal officials. No one who openly proclaimed their loyalty to the Crown was allowed to remain, so Loyalists fled or kept quiet. Some of those who remained later gave aid to invading British armies or joined uniformed Loyalist regiments. The British were forced out of Boston by March 17, 1776. They regrouped at Halifax and attacked New York in August, defeating George Washington 's army at Long Island and capturing New York City and its vicinity, and they occupied

SECTION 50

#1732773159268

6552-403: The Thirteen Colonies: Historians' best estimates put the proportion of adult white male loyalists somewhere between 15 and 20 percent. Approximately half the colonists of European ancestry tried to avoid involvement in the struggle—some of them deliberate pacifists, others recent immigrants, and many more simple apolitical folk. The patriots received active support from perhaps 40 to 45 percent of

6678-465: The US were generally able to retain their property and become American citizens. Many Loyalists eventually returned to the US after the war and discriminatory laws had been repealed. Historians have estimated that between 15% and 20% (300,000 to 400,000) of the 2,000,000 whites in the colonies in 1775 were Loyalists. Families were often divided during the American Revolution, and many felt themselves to be both American and British, still owing loyalty to

6804-504: The United States after the American Revolution , who often were granted land to settle in Upper Canada. Already populated by Indigenous peoples, land for settlement in Upper Canada was made by treaties between the new British government and the Indigenous peoples, exchanging land for one-time payments or annuities. The new province was characterized by its British way of life, including bicameral parliament and separate civil and criminal law, rather than mixed as in Lower Canada or elsewhere in

6930-451: 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 path to independence . The new British North American provinces of Upper Canada (the forerunner of Ontario) and New Brunswick were founded as places of refuge for the United Empire Loyalists. In an interesting historical twist Peter Matthews ,

7056-445: The United States were more likely to leave; older people who had familial bonds and had acquired friends, property, and a degree of social respectability were more likely to remain in the US. The vast majority of the half-million white Loyalists, about 20–25% of the total number of whites, remained in the US. Starting in the mid-1780s a small percentage of those who had left returned to the United States. The exiles amounted to about 2% of

7182-527: The United States. According to Jasanoff, the majority of these Loyalists – 36,000 – went to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia , while about 6,600 went to Quebec and 2,000 to Prince Edward Island . About 5,090 white Loyalists went to Florida, bringing along their slaves who numbered about 8,285 (421 whites and 2,561 blacks returned to the States from Florida). When Florida was returned to Spain, however, very few Loyalists remained there. Approximately 6,000 whites went to Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, notably

7308-414: The United States; they stayed on and were allowed to be citizens of the new country, retaining for a time the earlier designation of "Tories". Some became nationally prominent leaders, including Samuel Seabury , who was the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and Tench Coxe . There was a small but significant trickle of returnees who found life in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick too difficult. Perhaps 10% of

7434-476: The Unity of the Empire, and joined the Royal Standard before the Treaty of Separation in 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: U.E. Alluding to their great principle The Unity of the Empire. The post-nominals "U.E." are rarely seen today, but the influence of the Loyalists on the evolution of Canada remains. Their ties to Britain and/or their antipathy to

7560-408: The actual law was a compromise. According to historian Afua Cooper, Simcoe's law required children in slavery to be freed when they reached age 25 and: Thousands of Iroquois and other Native Americans were expelled from New York and other states and resettled in Canada. The descendants of one such group of Iroquois, led by Joseph Brant (Thayendenegea), settled at Six Nations of the Grand River ,

7686-436: The age of 85 after undergoing an operation for an obstructed bowel . After being taken over by the Jockey Club Brewery in 1933, the Sleeman brand was discontinued and the brewery ceased production six years later. In 1985, Sleeman's great-grandson John Warren Sleeman reincorporated the Sleeman Breweries and began producing beers, and Sleeman’s Cream Ale, using the original recipes provided to him by an aunt. Sleeman had been

SECTION 60

#1732773159268

7812-401: The breakup of ice on the St. Lawrence River and the arrival of British transports in May and June. There would be no further serious attempt to challenge British control of present-day Canada until the War of 1812 . In 1777, 1,500 Loyalist militia took part in the Saratoga campaign in New York, and surrendered with General Burgoyne after the Battles of Saratoga in October. For the rest of

7938-616: The clergy reserves and other glebe lots, while 6,950 acres (2,810 ha) were taken from ordinary Crown lands. A later suit to have this action annulled was dismissed by the Court of Chancery of Upper Canada . The Province of Canada would later pass an Act in 1866 to authorize the disposal of such glebe and rectory lands not specifically used as churches , parsonages or burial grounds . In 1797, lands in twelve townships (six east of York, and six west, totalling about 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), were set aside, from which revenues arising from their sale or lease were dedicated to support

8064-520: The community of Calton , then in Lanarkshire just outside Glasgow , Scotland in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, many of the weavers emigrated to Canada, settling in Carleton Place and other communities in eastern Ontario , where they continued their trade. In 1825, 1,878 Irish Immigrants from the city of Cork arrived in the community of Scott's Plains. The British Parliament had approved an experimental emigration plan to transport poor Irish families to Upper Canada in 1822. The scheme

8190-406: The disgust of the Radical Whigs the moderate Whigs were advertising in New York newspapers in 1782–83 that Tories who would make no trouble would be welcome on the grounds that their skills and money would help the State's economy. The Moderates prevailed. All anti-Tory laws were repealed in early 1783 except for the law relating to confiscated Tory estates: "... the problem of the loyalists after 1783

8316-407: The elected assembly's legislative role, leaving elected politicians to simply review the administration's legislative program and budgets. The First Nations occupying the territory that was to become Upper Canada were: Prior to the creation of Upper Canada in 1791, much land had already been ceded by the First Nations to the Crown in accordance with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 . The first treaty

8442-420: The establishment of grammar schools and a university for the Province. They were distributed as follows: Loyalist (American Revolution) Loyalists were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War , often referred to as Tories , Royalists , or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots or Whigs, who supported

8568-510: The exception of the commanding officer ( Banastre Tarleton ). Both white and black Loyalists fought for the British at the Battle of Kemp's Landing in Virginia. Estimates for how many Loyalists emigrated after the war differ. Historian Maya Jasanoff calculated 60,000 in total went to British North America, including about 50,000 whites, however Philip Ranlet estimates that only 20,000 adult white Loyalists went to Canada, while Wallace Brown cites about 80,000 Loyalists in total permanently left

8694-447: The existing districts as the population grew until 1849, when local government mainly based on counties came into effect. At that time, there were 20 districts; legislation to create a new Kent District was never completed. Up until 1841, the district officials were appointed by the lieutenant-governor, although usually with local input. Justices of the Peace were appointed by the Lt. Governor. Any two justices meeting together could form

8820-409: The expropriation of property, but married women were protected under " feme covert ", which meant that they had no political identity and their legal rights were absorbed by their husbands. This created an awkward dilemma for the confiscation committees: confiscating the land of such a woman would punish her for her husband's actions. In many cases, the women did not get a choice on if they were labeled

8946-429: The faction of the George Clinton . Most States had rescinded anti-Tory laws by 1787, although the accusation of being a Tory was heard for another generation. Several hundred who had left for Florida returned to Georgia in 1783–84. South Carolina which had seen a bitter bloody internal civil war in 1780–82 adopted a policy of reconciliation that proved more moderate than any other state. About 4500 white Loyalists left when

9072-556: The fall of 1775 was followed by a rapid rise in Patriot recruiting. In what became known as the Snow Campaign , partisan militia arrested or drove out most of the back country Loyalist leadership. North Carolina back country Scots and former Regulators joined forces in early 1776, but they were broken as a force at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge . By July 4, 1776, the Patriots had gained control of virtually all territory in

9198-421: The former elitism. The Patriot reliance on Catholic France for military, financial and diplomatic aid led to a sharp drop in anti-Catholic rhetoric. Indeed, the king replaced the pope as the demon Patriots had to fight against. Anti-Catholicism remained strong among Loyalists, some of whom went to Canada after the war most remained in the new nation. By the 1780s, Catholics were extended legal toleration in all of

9324-610: The goal of convincing the residents of Quebec to join the Revolution. Although only a minority of Canadians openly expressed loyalty to King George, about 1,500 militia fought for the King in the Siege of Fort St. Jean . In the region south of Montreal that was occupied by the Continentals, some inhabitants supported the rebellion and raised two regiments to join the Patriot forces. In Nova Scotia , there were many Yankee settlers originally from New England, and they generally supported

9450-627: The influx was greatest in Halifax. Britain in any case built up powerful forces at the naval base of Halifax after the failure of Jonathan Eddy to capture Fort Cumberland in 1776. Although the Continentals captured Montreal in November 1775, they were turned back a month later at Quebec City by a combination of the British military under Governor Guy Carleton , the difficult terrain and weather, and an indifferent local response. The Continental forces would be driven from Quebec in 1776, after

9576-452: The land-mass of the future province of Ontario. In 1836, Manitoulin Island was designated as a reserve for dispossessed natives, but much of this was ceded in 1862. Crown land policy to 1825 was multi-fold in the use of a "free" resource that had value to people who themselves may have little or no money for its purchase and for the price of settling upon it to support themselves and a create

9702-561: The largest First Nations reserve in Canada. (The remainder, under the leadership of Cornplanter (John Abeel) and members of his family, stayed in New York.) A group of African-American Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia but emigrated again for Sierra Leone after facing discrimination there. Many of the Loyalists were forced to abandon substantial properties to America restoration of or compensation for these lost properties, which

9828-630: The largest free black community in North America. However, the long period of waiting time to be officially given land grants that were given to them and the prejudices of white Loyalists in nearby Shelburne who regularly harassed the settlement in events such as the Shelburne Riots in 1784, made life very difficult for the community. In 1791 the Sierra Leone Company offered to transport dissatisfied black Loyalists to

9954-463: The late 1840s under Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine . After the Rebellions, the new governor, Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham , proved an exemplary Utilitarian , despite his aristocratic pretensions. This combination of free trade and aristocratic pretensions needs to be underscored; although a liberal capitalist, Sydenham was no radical democrat. Sydenham approached

10080-472: The lease of these lands was claimed by the Rev. John Strachan on behalf of the Church of England . These reserves were directly administered by the Crown; which, in turn, came under increasing political pressure from other Protestant bodies. The Reserve lands were to be a focal point of dissent within the Legislative Assembly. The Clergy Corporation was incorporated in 1819 to manage the clergy reserves. After

10206-544: The local Patriots, who controlled local and state government. Many people—including former Regulators in North Carolina —refused to join the rebellion, as they had earlier protested against corruption by local authorities who later became Revolutionary leaders. The oppression by the local Whigs during the Regulation led to many of the residents of backcountry North Carolina sitting out the Revolution or siding with

10332-623: The lowest level of the justice system, the Courts of Request. A Court of Quarter Sessions was held four times a year in each district composed of all the resident justices. The Quarter Sessions met to oversee the administration of the district and deal with legal cases. They formed, in effect, the municipal government until an area was incorporated as either a Police Board or a City after 1834. Incorporated in Upper Canada era (to 1841) Incorporated in Canada West (1841-1867) The Family Compact

10458-455: The mother country. Maryland lawyer Daniel Dulaney the Younger opposed taxation without representation but would not break his oath to the King or take up arms against him. He wrote: "There may be a time when redress may not be obtained. Till then, I shall recommend a legal, orderly, and prudent resentment". Most Americans hoped for a peaceful reconciliation but were forced to choose sides by

10584-463: The mouth of the Hudson River until 1783. British forces seized control of other cities, including Philadelphia (1777), Savannah, Georgia (1778–83), and Charleston, South Carolina (1780–82). But 90% of the colonial population lived outside the cities, with the effective result that Congress represented 80 to 90 percent of the population. The British removed their governors from colonies where

10710-569: The names of African Americans who had supported the British in a document called the Book of Negroes , which granted freedom to slaves who had escaped and assisted the British. About 4,000 Black Loyalists went to the British colonies of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick , where they were promised land grants. They founded communities across the two provinces, many of which still exist today. Over 2,500 settled in Birchtown, Nova Scotia , instantly making it

10836-535: The nascent colony of Sierra Leone in West Africa, with the promise of better land and more equality. About 1,200 left Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone, where they named the capital Freetown . After 1787 they became Sierra Leone's ruling elite during the colonial era and their descendants, the Sierra Leone Creoles , are the cultural elites of the nation. About 400 to 1,000 free blacks who joined

10962-587: The nature of Loyalist support as follows: The largest number of loyalists were found in the middle colonies : many tenant farmers of New York supported the king , for example, as did many of the Dutch in the colony and in New Jersey . The Germans in Pennsylvania tried to stay out of the Revolution, just as many Quakers did, and when that failed, clung to the familiar connection rather than embrace

11088-643: The new. Highland Scots in the Carolinas , a fair number of Anglican clergy and their parishioners in Connecticut and New York , a few Presbyterians in the southern colonies , and a large number of the Iroquois stayed loyal to the king. After the British military capture of New York City and Long Island it became the British military and political base of operations in North America from 1776 to 1783, prompting revolutionaries to flee and resulting in

11214-553: The number of military Loyalists was significantly lower than what had been expected. Due to conflicting political views, loyalists were often under suspicion of those in the British military, who did not know whom they could fully trust in such a conflicted situation; they were often looked down upon. Patriots watched suspected Loyalists very closely and would not tolerate any organized Loyalist opposition. Many outspoken or militarily active Loyalists were forced to flee, especially to their stronghold of New York City . William Franklin ,

11340-470: The old inhabitants of Nova Scotia, who are even more disaffected towards the British Government than any of the new States ever were. This makes me much doubt their remaining long dependent." In response, the colony of New Brunswick , until 1784 part of Nova Scotia, was created for the 14,000 who had settled in those parts. Of the 46,000 who went to Canada, 10,000 went to Quebec, especially what

11466-541: The operation in 1867 when his father retired. In 1900, he incorporated his breweries as the Sleeman Brewing and Malting Company. The family played an important role in the establishment of beer in Canada . In 1863, Sleeman married Sarah Hill. The family lived in Guelph, later in a gothic custom-built mansion that was completed in 1891 at an estimated $ 30,000, near what is now called Silver Creek Parkway. In 1876, he

11592-416: The operation that by 1902 the banks took over his house, railway and his brewery. (Sleeman's original railway was the foundation of the subsequent Radial Railway Company that expanded to serve more distant communities.) Sleeman set up a rival brewery in 1903, Springbank, and the banks sold him back the original brewery a year later. Sleeman retired from the family business in 1905 and died in Guelph in 1926 at

11718-780: The organizational structure for the Rebellion of 1837. William Lyon Mackenzie James Lesslie John Rolph William John O'Grady Henry John Boulton David Willson Samuel Hughes John McIntosh Marshall Spring Bidwell Robert Baldwin William Warren Baldwin Francis Hincks Charles Duncombe Samuel Lount Peter Matthews Jesse Lloyd Anthony Van Egmond Thomas D. Morrison David Gibson James Hervey Price Joseph Shepard The Upper Canada Rebellion

11844-409: The principles of the revolution. The allegiance toward the rebellion waned as American privateers raided Nova Scotia communities throughout the war. As well, the Nova Scotia government used the law to convict people for sedition and treason for supporting the rebel cause. There was also the influence of an influx of recent immigration from the British isles, and they remained neutral during the war, and

11970-542: The province. The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada functioned as the lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada. Its legislative power was subject to veto by the appointed Lieutenant Governor, Executive Council, and Legislative Council. Local government in the province of Upper Canada was based on districts. Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester created four districts 24 July 1788. For militia and parliamentary purposes, Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in

12096-709: The refugees to New Brunswick returned to the States as did an unknown number from Nova Scotia. Some Massachusetts Tories settled in the Maine District . Nevertheless, the vast majority never returned. Captain Benjamin Hallowell, who as Mandamus Councilor in Massachusetts served as the direct representative of the Crown, was considered by the insurgents as one of the most hated men in the Colony, but as

12222-560: The revolution, and considered them "persons inimical to the liberties of America." Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that many thousands of them would spring to arms and fight for the Crown. The British government acted in expectation of that, especially during the Southern campaigns of 1780 and 1781. Britain was able to effectively protect the people only in areas where they had military control, and in return,

12348-554: The rowdy democracy in the nearby United States. The Family Compact emerged from the War of 1812 and collapsed in the aftermath of the Rebellions of 1837 . There were many outstanding individual reform politicians in Upper Canada, including Robert Randal , Peter Perry , Marshall Spring Bidwell , William Ketchum and Dr. William Warren Baldwin ; however, organised collective reform activity began with Robert Fleming Gourlay . Gourlay

12474-495: The royal governor of New Jersey and son of Patriot leader Benjamin Franklin , became the leader of the Loyalists after his release from a Patriot prison in 1778. He worked to build Loyalist military units to fight in the war. Woodrow Wilson wrote that "there had been no less than twenty-five thousand loyalists enlisted in the British service during the five years of the fighting. At one time (1779) they had actually outnumbered

12600-615: The slaves in the South joined the Loyalists with intentions of gaining freedom and escaping the South. About 800 did so; some helped rout the Virginia militia at the Battle of Kemp's Landing and fought in the Battle of Great Bridge on the Elizabeth River , wearing the motto "Liberty to Slaves", but this time they were defeated. The remains of their regiment were then involved in the evacuation of Norfolk , after which they served in

12726-548: The task of implementing those aspects of Durham's report that the colonial office approved of, municipal reform, and the union of the Canadas, with a "campaign of state violence and coercive institutional innovation ... empowered not just by the British state but also by his Benthamite certainties." Like governors Bond Head before him, and Metcalfe after, he was to turn to the Orange Order for often violent support. It

12852-533: The total US population of 3 million at the end of the war in 1783. After 1783 some former Loyalists, especially Germans from Pennsylvania, emigrated to Canada to take advantage of the British government's offer of free land. Many departed the fledgling United States because they faced continuing hostility. In another migration-motivated mainly by economic rather than political reasons- more than 20,000 and perhaps as many as 30,000 "Late Loyalists" arrived in Ontario in

12978-449: The townships of Dunwich and Aldborough in 1803. According to his government agreement, he was entitled to 200 acres (80 ha) for every settler who received 50 acres (20 ha); in this way he gained an estate of 20,000 acres (8,000 ha). Talbot's administration was regarded as despotic. He was infamous for registering settlers' names on the local settlement map in pencil and if displeased, erasing their entry. Talbot's abuse of power

13104-441: The war ended, but the majority remained behind. The state government successfully and quickly reincorporated the vast majority. During the war, pardons were offered to Loyalists who switched sides and joined the Patriot forces. Others were required to pay a 10% fine of the value of the property. The legislature named 232 Loyalists liable for the confiscation of their property, but most appealed and were forgiven. In Connecticut much to

13230-493: The war, Quebec acted as a base for raiding expeditions, conducted primarily by Loyalists and Indians, against frontier communities. The Loyalists rarely attempted any political organization. They were often passive unless regular British army units were in the area. The British, however, assumed a highly activist Loyalist community was ready to mobilize and planned much of their strategy around raising Loyalist regiments. The British provincial line, consisting of Americans enlisted on

13356-448: The white populace, and at most no more than a bare majority. Before Calhoon's work, estimates of the Loyalist share of the population were somewhat higher, at about one-third, but these estimates are now rejected as too high by most scholars. In 1968 historian Paul H. Smith estimated there were about 400,000 Loyalists, or 16% of the white population of 2.25 million in 1780. Historian Robert Middlekauff summarized scholarly research on

13482-453: The whole of the continental muster under the personal command of Washington." When their cause was defeated, about 15 percent of the Loyalists (65,000–70,000 people) fled to other parts of the British Empire ; especially to the Kingdom of Great Britain itself, or to British North America (present day Canada ). The southern Loyalists moved mostly to Florida , which had remained loyal to

13608-455: Was Sydenham who played a critical role in transforming Compact Tories into Conservatives. Sydenham introduced a vast expansion of the state apparatus through the introduction of municipal government. Areas not already governed through civic corporations or police boards would be governed through centrally controlled District Councils with authority over roads, schools, and local policing. A strengthened Executive Council would further usurp much of

13734-528: Was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain , to govern the central third of the lands in British North America , formerly part of the Province of Quebec since 1763. Upper Canada included all of modern-day Southern Ontario and all those areas of Northern Ontario in the Pays d'en Haut which had formed part of New France , essentially the watersheds of

13860-431: Was a contributing factor in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. The Crown reserves, one seventh of all lands granted, were to provide the provincial executive with an independent source of revenue not under the control of the elected Assembly. The clergy reserves, also one seventh of all lands granted in the province, were created "for the support and maintenance of a Protestant clergy" in lieu of tithes. The revenue from

13986-469: Was a major issue during the negotiation of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Two successive boards were formed, and under a new convention signed in 1802 by the United States and Great Britain for the mutual payment of claims, the US paid the sum of £600,000, while only £1,420,000 of nearly £5 million in claims considered by commissioners in Britain were judged to be good. The great majority of Loyalists never left

14112-401: Was a well-connected Scottish emigrant who arrived in 1817, hoping to encourage "assisted emigration" of the poor from Britain. He solicited information on the colony through township questionnaires, and soon became a critic of government mismanagement. When the local legislature ignored his call for an inquiry, he called for a petition to the British Parliament. He organised township meetings, and

14238-477: Was an insurrection against the oligarchic government of the Family Compact in December 1837, led by William Lyon Mackenzie . Long term grievances included antagonism between Later Loyalists and British Loyalists, political corruption, the collapse of the international financial system and the resultant economic distress, and a growing republican sentiment. While public grievances had existed for years, it

14364-779: Was between the Seneca and the British in 1764, giving access to lands adjoining the Niagara River. During the American Revolutionary War most of the First Nations supported the British. After the Americans launched a campaign that burned the villages of the Iroquois in New York State in 1779 the refugees fled to Fort Niagara and other British posts, and remained permanently in Canada. Land

14490-526: Was effected so that Loyalist American settlers and British immigrants in Upper Canada could have English laws and institutions, and the French-speaking population of Lower Canada could maintain French civil law and the Catholic religion. The first lieutenant-governor was John Graves Simcoe . The 1795 Jay Treaty officially set the borders between British North America and the United States north to

14616-541: Was elected to Guelph town council for the first time. In 1877 he was elected Deputy Reeve and in 1880, after Guelph was transformed from a town into a city, he became the first mayor. He was elected mayor three subsequent times. By 1890, his Silver Creek Brewery had 15 retail stores in two provinces (Ontario and Quebec). In 1894, Sleeman set up the Guelph Street Railway Company, an electric streetcar company. He invested so much of his own money in

14742-529: Was eventually abandoned for another, to the west. The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Although modelled after the British House of Lords, Upper Canada had no aristocracy. Members of the Legislative council, appointed for life, formed the core of the oligarchic group, the Family Compact , that came to dominate government and economy in

14868-601: Was granted to these allied Six Nations who had served on the British side during the American Revolution by the Haldimand Proclamation (1784). Haldimand had purchased a tract of land from the Mississaugas . The nature of the grant and the administration of land sales by Upper Canada and Canada is a matter of dispute . Between 1783 and 1812, fifteen land surrender treaties were concluded in Upper Canada. These involved one-time payments of money or goods to

14994-550: Was managed by Peter Robinson , a member of the Family Compact and brother of the Attorney General. Scott's Plains was renamed Peterborough in his honour. Thomas Talbot emigrated in 1791, where he became personal secretary to John Graves Simcoe , Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Talbot convinced the government to allow him to implement a land settlement scheme of 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) in Elgin County in

15120-755: Was named president of the club. The Leafs also won the Canadian championship in 1870 and 1871. In 1877, Sleeman helped establish the International Association as a competitor to the National League . Later, when Toronto and Hamilton entered teams, Sleeman's Guelph Maple Leafs started losing money and eventually the team was disbanded, but returned in 1896. George Sleeman was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (French: province du Haut-Canada )

15246-419: Was resolved in their favor after the War of Independence ended." In 1787 the last of any discriminatory laws were rescinded. The departure of so many royal officials, rich merchants and landed gentry destroyed the hierarchical networks that had dominated most of the colonies. A major result was that a Patriot/Whig elite supplanted royal officials and affluent Tories. In New York, the departure of key members of

15372-581: Was said to be "the very image and transcript" of the British constitution, and based on the principle of " mixed monarchy " – a balance of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy. The Executive arm of government in the colony consisted of a lieutenant-governor , his executive council , and the Officers of the Crown (equivalent to the Officers of the Parliament of Canada ): the Adjutant General of

15498-472: Was seized by the Rebels and she spent the rest of her life fighting to regain it. It was returned to her heirs in 1783, after she and her husband had died. Patriots allowed women to become involved in politics in a larger scale than the loyalists. Some women involved in political activity include Catharine Macaulay (a loyalist) and Mercy Otis Warren who were both writers during this time. Both women maintained

15624-547: Was the Lower Canada Rebellion (in present-day Quebec ) that emboldened rebels in Upper Canada to revolt openly soon after. The Upper Canada Rebellion was largely defeated shortly after it began, although resistance lingered until 1838 (and became more violent) – mainly through the support of the Hunters' Lodges , a secret anti-British American militia that emerged in states around the Great Lakes. They launched

15750-626: Was then frequently called "Canada", the name of the earlier French province ) in the months leading to the outbreak of active hostilities. John Brown , an agent of the Boston Committee of Correspondence , worked with Canadian merchant Thomas Walker and other rebel sympathisers during the winter of 1774–1775 to convince inhabitants to support the actions of the First Continental Congress . However, many of Quebec's inhabitants remained neutral, resisting service to either

15876-555: Was united with adjacent Lower Canada to form the Province of Canada . As part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the Seven Years' War global conflict and the French and Indian War in North America, Great Britain retained control over the former New France , which had been defeated in the French and Indian War. The British had won control after Fort Niagara had surrendered in 1759 and Montreal capitulated in 1760, and

#267732