The American Revolution and The Coming Of The Loyalists.
Topic six discusses how the American Revolution had an impact on England and its former Thirteen Colonies, and also future colonies such as the Maritimes and Upper and Lower Canada. Forty thousand immigrants were given land in Nova Scotia (which later became part of New Brunswick), the Island of St. John (later Prince Edward Island), Cape Breton and the Canadas. Each colony was influenced by economic, political, and social. Directly after the war, Privateers came to New England and caused much hardship with their raids on outport settlements from the southern tip of Nova Scotia to Labrador.
In Section A, there are some letters written by Jonathan Scott and by Rebecca Byles. Jonathan Scott, a New England-born fisherman and minister, writes in his diary in November and December of 1775. He writes about how privateers from New England came to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and held 50 men as prisoners on their vessels. The one thing that was odd to Scott was the fact that the prisoners looked glad to be going on to the vessel. Scott and a few other men got together to write a letter to the Governer containing exactly what the privateers did. Three weeks after the men were held as prisoners, they were let go, and the prisoners went home to their families. Rebecca Byles wrote three letters over a period of three years to her Dear Aunt. These letters contained information on how her Aunt's friends and family were doing where Rebecca was and asking how her friends and family were doing where her Aunt was.
Section B consists of letters, reports, memoirs and petitions of immigrants. The first few letters contains Sir John Johnson and General Haldiman writing letters to each other in 1783-84. The first letter dated August 11, 1783 was from Johnson asking Haldiman for land for the Mohawks, of the Islands from the Bay of Kerty downwards including Crown Lands.
