The United Empire Loyalists: A Chronicle of the Great Migration [1914 ed.] — Context and Discussion

From Persecution to Exodus

The early chapters move from the social pressure of committees and mobs to the formal machinery of evacuation. Wallace describes how Loyalists were subjected to fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of property, with some tarred and feathered. The narrative then shifts to the military phase: Loyalist regiments raised in the colonies fought alongside British regulars, and after the peace treaty, the British government faced the logistical challenge of relocating tens of thousands of refugees. The exodus to Nova Scotia is presented as a massive organized movement, with ships departing from New York, Boston, and Charleston.

The Birth of New Brunswick

Wallace devotes considerable attention to the political manoeuvring that created New Brunswick. Governor Parr of Nova Scotia struggled to satisfy the Loyalist influx, and resentment against his administration led to an agitation for separation. Edward Winslow proposed a division as early as July 1783, arguing that the distance from Halifax made governance impractical. The Loyalists, through friends in London, succeeded in 1784, and the new province was named New Brunswick. Wallace notes that the boundary placed Fort Cumberland within the new province, a triumph for the settlers. The chief offices went to Loyalists: Jonathan Odell became secretary, and Ward Chipman solicitor-general.

Settlement and Government in Quebec

The narrative turns to the Quebec settlements, where Loyalists moved into the Eastern Townships and along the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario. Wallace describes the land-grant system and the establishment of townships with names like Kingston and Adolphustown. He notes the tension between French-Canadian seigneurial tenure and the British freehold system, which the Loyalists preferred. The Constitutional Act of 1791, which divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, is presented partly as a response to Loyalist demands for representative government and English law. Wallace emphasizes that the Loyalists brought with them a tradition of local self-government that shaped the new province.

Compensation and the American Migration

Wallace examines the claims process for Loyalist losses, which dragged on for decades. A commission sat in London and Halifax, but many claimants received only partial compensation. The author also discusses the later American migration: after the War of 1812, some Americans moved into Upper Canada, but Wallace distinguishes these later settlers from the original United Empire Loyalists. He notes that the Loyalist tradition remained a powerful political and social force, with descendants proudly using the U.E. designation. The chapter on the Loyalist in his new home describes the cultural and economic adjustments, from building log cabins to establishing churches and schools.

Wallace's chronicle is organized as a series of regional case studies rather than a single narrative arc. Readers will find that the book's value lies in its attention to administrative detail—the petitions, boundary disputes, and patronage networks that turned a refugee crisis into a colonial founding. The excerpts suggest that Wallace is more interested in institutional outcomes than in individual stories, so those seeking personal accounts of hardship may need to supplement this volume with memoirs or local histories.

I keep thinking about how Wallace describes those Loyalists carrying their old lives into new ground, not starting over but transplanting. It reminded me of something quiet I found in The boys in white — Story, Setting & Ideas, where the same ache of leaving shows up differently—not in settlements, but in small, unspoken moments that stay with you long after.