Chapter 6The United States Breaks Away

The Loyalists

The Beginning

1763, Britain is in debt because of the Seven Years’ WarWanted troops in the Colonies to ensure securityDid not want to pay for themRaised taxes in the colonies to pay for the troops

“Taxation Without Representation”

The colonists were not allowed to elect representatives to the British ParliamentThey felt that a government they had no choice in had no right to tax themThey refused to pay these taxes

Boston Tea Party

Rebellion

George Washington took control of an army to fight British rule and the United States declared its independence in 1776The war has started and lasts until 1783

War Divides the People

Two groups in the colonies:Patriots, supported the rebellionUnited Empire Loyalists, were loyal to the British Empire

The Patriots harass the Loyalists with a variety of techniquesLoyalist abuse

Tarred Feathered and Ridden out on a RailRead History Happens page 173

Loyalist Migration

Loyalists from the United States fled to Canada as refugees from the persecution that was taking place thereBesides British subjects there were also Black and Mennonite refugees

Racism and religious tolerance

Challenges of Loyalist MigrationIncreased the British population in Quebec to about 10%The British wanted to live under British laws and customs

Is this their right at 10% of the population?

The French still had the grantee of their rights to French law and customs under the Quebec Act

Impacts on the First NationsThe loyalists were mostly farmers and this caused a shift in the reason for negotiating treaties. At first treaties were about “peace and friendship”; treaties of relationshipNow they were for landThe Royal Proclamation of 1763 said the Aboriginals had rights to the land in the Indian Territories so agreements had to be made to take this territory

The Treaties

The Aboriginals were supposed to agree to give up their land before settlers moved on to itThere were problems of language and the treaties were not always fair or just

Nova ScotiaMost Loyalists went to Nova ScotiaFrom the map can you tell why the Loyalists wouldhave gone toNova Scotia?These Loyalists are encroachingon Mi’kmaqterritory thegovernment saidthe Mi’kmaq were not in Indian territory and so did not have the right to a treaty.

Loyalists Want ChangeMany of the Loyalists took over land the Acadians had farmed before their deportationAnother group settled along the St. John river, they felt separate from the other colonistsThey felt they had their own needs and petitioned for a colony separate from Nova Scotia

Change in QuebecLoyalists are petitioning the British government to allow them to have British laws and customsBritain has to make a decision:

It owes the loyalists for supporting them in the American revolutionIt also has to follow the Quebec Act it passed

Britain's ResponseBritain decided to separate Nova Scotia and created New Brunswick as well as colonies on Cape Breton Island and St. John islandThey also created the Constitutional Act in 1791 which allowed British laws and customs for those Loyalists who were west of Montreal

The Constitution Act 17741. Divided Quebec into Upper and Lower

Canada2. Established British civil and criminal law in

Upper Canada and kept the French laws in Lower Canada from the Quebec Act

3. Set aside land for the Protestant Church and guaranteed the right of the French to be Catholic

4. Established a legislative council appointed by Britain in each colony, now they both had representative governments

Representative GovernmentRepresentative government was important because the loyalists were used to it from being in the United States also the French had been promised it in the Quebec act

How representative is this?The council is appointed and the elected officials can only advise it.