Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World

Approximately 13,000 loyalists left the United States for Britain after the war. Black loyalists comprised about 5,000 of these refugees. Moving to the center of the British Empire made sense for American loyalists, as strong linguistic and cultural connections tied America to Britain. London, one of the largest cities on earth, struck Americans as crowded, expensive, and unfriendly. Refugees often lived in smaller communities. Black loyalists, however, tended to settle in east London, an impoverished neighborhood notorious for criminal activity. Philanthropists organized to help these newly emancipated people, developing plans to relocate them abroad, including to Sierra Leone.

The influx of loyalist refugees had political effects in Britain. Loyalists lobbied for compensation for lost property, and while officials determined they had no legal obligation to help, British people felt caring for these displaced loyalists was a matter of national honor. Parliament established the Loyalist Claims Commission in 1783 to investigate appeals for compensation. Claimants found the commission’s process difficult to navigate and payments inadequate.

At the same time, Britain was contending with abolition, how to govern British India, and the settlement of Australia as a penal colony—political topics made poignant due to the loss of British territory in America.