Historical documents
Postwar
Ceasefire among Britain, France and Spain includes U.S.A. and ends American Revolutionary War[3]
Peace treaty sets U.S.-British boundary, allows U.S. fishing in Newfoundland waters and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and encourages justice for loyalists[4]
Map: Covering James Bay to Florida and Newfoundland to Mississippi and showing United States of America according to treaty[5]
Washington is surprised Blacks have been part of British evacuation, and wants to prevent future loss "of any Negroes or other Property"[6]
Maj. Gen. Steuben on tour of U.S. border from Lake Champlain to mouth of Mississippi River "to view the most proper places" to locate garrisons[7]
Washington says "Peace Establishment" should include gaining "affections" of Canadians in Detroit and Illinois country, and attracting more of them[8]
Peace is best policy in U.S. west because even totally expelling Indigenous people would be military and economic advantage to Canada[9]
Lords of Admiralty set peace establishment of 28-gun frigate, sloop and cutter at Quebec City and 50-gun ship and 3 frigates or sloops at Halifax[10]
Act of Parliament appoints commissioners "to enquire into the Losses and Services of all such Persons who have suffered" for their loyalty in late war[11]
Residents of Saratoga, N.Y. district resolve to treat any resident or returning loyalist "with the severity due to his crimes and infamous defection"[12]
"Nothing is now so important to society" - Connecticut writer calls for re-admission of loyalists, for sake of security, equality, rights and business[13]
Timber for masts, spars and lumber is more plentiful in Canada and Nova Scotia than in U.S.; "almost untouched" forests of Canada better for potash[14]
Frederick Haldimand to John Parr on his idea to encourage Acadians to settle at "Great" Falls on Saint John River, making strong link between provinces[15]
Haldimand's vision of Loyalist settlement in "the Upper Countries," including in areas of present-day Kingston and Windsor, Ontario[16]
"The mortifying scene of giving up the City of New York to the American Troops" - Guy Carleton looks "unusually dejected" and new inhabitants "shabby"[17]
Lower Canada
Canada's commerce will surpass debt-ridden U.S.A. if encouraged and if Canada gets good constitution with elected assembly and government reforms[18]
Owner of two seigneuries lures settler Loyalists with: no rent for 10 years; wheat for family use ground 4 years for free; building boards sawed for free[19]
"Abandoned in general by those who have conducted them in the just cause" - Refugee officers from Canada who fought for U.S. send appeal for help[20]
Quebeckers petition House of Commons for Quebec Act repeal, elected assembly, larger legislative council, English common and commercial law etc.[21]
Noting prevalent errors (such as giving children smallpox), writer argues influence of clergy can remove doubts of "untutored minds" about inoculation[22]
"Negro Wench," about 18 and has had smallpox, brought from New York by Loyalists, and for sale "only from the owner having no use for her at present"[23]
Panis woman named Mary Jeannevieve, 36, left "her Mistress [carrying] with her a large bundle;" reward of 40 shillings plus expenses[24]
Missing "Negro Lad named Charles," about 20, 4' 4 or 5" "with a white mark on the right side of his forehead; speaks English and a little French and German"[25]
Gazette printer's apprentice missing; Duncan McDonell, about 19, speaks English, French and Erse; one guinea reward for his return[26]
Genevieve Dorion notes husband absent 3 months from Sorel without cause, and that she will run business on own account and will not pay his debts[27]
Edinburgh woman has school for "Young Ladies [to learn] white and coloured Work, Tambour, Embroidery, and Dresden-work, &c." as well as millinery business[28]
Quebec Library trustees report catalog is available to subscribers, £374 spent on books in English, but no French books received because of war[29]
Thespian Theatre puts on tragedy Venice Preserv'd and comic opera The Padlock plus singing and music for "a most numerous and respectable audience"[30]
François Baillairgé will draw "historical pictures" and make figures "in relievo" for parishes and paint full-length and miniature oil portraits[31]
Acrostic poem cleverly praises Miss Hannah MacCulloch for combining charms of several other Quebec City divinities[32]
Upper Canada
Niagara farmers want relief from "precarious footing upon which they hold their farms," perhaps buying more lakeside land from Mississaugas[33]
"They would rather go to Japan than go among the Americans" - With no hope of justice in U.S. courts, Loyalists ask for firm tenure of their Niagara lands[34]
John Butler thinks Indigenous people will be "very troublesome" after news that their lands are ceded to U.S.A. under peace settlement[35]
Gen. Allan Maclean regrets great expenditure on rum, including 60 gal. for Mississaugas, and seeks guidance on how much to supply to Six Nations[36]
Niagara merchants urge ban on traders from U.S., calling them "Smugglers [evading] the legal rates to the prejudice and ruin of the Fair Trader"[37]
Painting: Cataraqui (Kingston, Ontario)[38]
Nova Scotia
Listing African Americans taken to Nova Scotia, "Book of Negroes" includes Deborah, age 20, formerly enslaved by George Washington[39]
Certificate of John Williams ("a Negro") gives him permission to go to Nova Scotia "or where ever else he may think proper"[40]
Loyalist commander asks officer to "say a word" for George Black family; "he has long been free and[...]deserves Provision as well as other Refugees"[41]
Free-born Black indented apprentice George Scribens "is supposed to be gone to Nova Scotia" by New York City man offering £5 reward[42]
Alexander Hamilton thinks it bad policy to cause "a great number of useful citizens[...]to people the shores and wilderness of Nova-Scotia"[43]
Chronicle entry for May 14: "Six thousand Refugees arrived at Port-Roseway, Nova Scotia, from New York"[44]
Summary of accusations made against small group of Loyalists who unsuccessfully tried to convince Gov. John Parr to allow each of them 5,000 acres[45]
"A refugee is the most miserable, dispicable being on earth" - Loyalists at Port Roseway are living in huts and almost all dependant on dole[46]
Loyalist notes Saint John River country's "mortifications" his family would not stand: "whole country crowded," expensive towns, and rations and huts[47]
Mary Fisher, wife of New Jersey Volunteers veteran, describes hardship of families arriving too late in fall to build housing for winter[48]
Despite high position in loyalist forces, Edward Winslow arrives with family in Nova Scotia lacking tools, enough blankets, and even 8 pence for ferry[49]
Loyalist glad to arrive - "[I could] enlarge upon the subject that has brought us all to this uncultivated country, but[...]it can answer no good purpose"[50]
"State of poverty" - Edward and Sarah Winslow's father applies for compensation based on loss of his £1,500 estate and income of £300 in Massachusetts[51]
Master of transport ship run aground off Cape Sable appears responsible for mishap, and also reportedly abandons passengers and discourages their rescue[52]
"Replete with natural advantages & nothing wanting but numbers of industrious Inhabitants" - Praise for Nova Scotia's produce, grain, fish and timber[53]
Description of soil in marshes behind dykes, with claims of great crops produced and yields sustained "without change of grain, rest, or manure"[54]
List of persons living on Saint John River includes their names, number of children, properties, experience in war (if any), and character assessments[55]
Commission to identify for Supreme Court persons compensated in suits against aiders and abettors of raiders for more than they suffered in raids[56]
Royal pardon for "all Manner of Treasons, Misprison of Treasons, treasonable and seditious Words, Libels or Correspondence" committed during late war[57]
Decades-old laws prohibiting Catholics from having title to "Lands or Tenements" and subjecting priests to imprisonment are repealed[58]
House of Assembly records judges' report that Cumberland County suffered and suffers under damage and persecution growing out of 1776 rebel invasion[59]
Assembly committee gives many instances of unnecessary, unrecorded, unreported, unauthorized, unpaid, improperly paid, confused or abused public accounts[60]
Licence for 11,520 acres of land on Sheet Harbour for Indigenous people[61]
Map: Nova Scotia with its fishing banks and nearby New England, Quebec, Newfoundland, and St. John's Isle[62]
Prince Edward Island
Coast of St. John's Island "abounds with every sort of fish; the soil of the island is excellent; [and] no country in the world affords better pasture for cattle"[63]
Officers of King's Rangers on St. John's Island inform Loyalists of its good soil, climate, water and waterways, and "very few[,] very light" taxes[64]
John MacDonald describes nature and resolution of problems he has had keeping family property on St. John's Island, and foresees further problems[65]
Labrador
George Cartwright says "celebrated natural historian" who claims beavers have scaly tails because they eat fish, must himself have one for same reason[66]
Cartwright's lengthy description of beavers includes their food and food storage, shelters and preferred locations, dams, families, work etc.[67]
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