Righting Their World: The Rebuilding Process for Loyalist Refugee Merchants in the Wake of the American Revolution

Abstract

This project examines how different tiers of aid-- often unreliable and inconsistent-- provided the basis for refugee Atlantic merchants to rebuild their livelihoods after the American Revolution. Facing upheaval and uncertainty, these refugees turned to different resources available to them in order to ease the transition and find stability in their new homes. The various forms of support available to loyalists fall into three basic categories: large scale, imperial level assistance; local and colonial government support; and community and family-based aid. While each category offered differing levels of success depending upon individual cases, together these three avenues of aid formed the safety net for displaced loyalists. Bermuda, Nova Scotia, and East Florida are the entry points for this study. By considering colonies with such diverse histories, the tiers of aid highlight the commonalities in the loyalist refugee experience.