Who
were the Black Loyalists?
he Black Loyalists arrived in Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785, as a result of the American Revolution. They were the largest group of people of African birth and of African descent to come to Nova Scotia at any one time.
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Regimental
buttons
for military uniforms
Photo by Richard Plander,
Learning Resources &
Technology.
Nova Scotia Museum. |
In 1775, some people in the British North American colonies were arguing with the British government about how much control Great Britain should have over taxes and life in the colonies. The colonists wanted to influence decisions about laws and taxes but had no representation in the British Parliament. They declared themselves independent of Britain when they weren't able to come to an agreement. The American Revolution, also called the American War of Independence, was the result.
People
of African birth, who were brought forcibly to the colonies to provide
slave labour, and their descendants, were caught in this war. In
the late 1600s and 1700s, the British had established rice, indigo,
and tobacco plantations in the southern part of North America. Plantation
owners required lots of labourers to do field work and other jobs.
To reduce costs, they used slaves. At first they enslaved the native Indians but then used mostly African slaves.
In the northern colonies, slaves worked as farm
hands or at various jobs as domestic workers or at semi-specialized
trades, such as lumbering, mining, road-making, black smithing,
shoemaking, weaving and spinning.
When
Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, lost control of that colony
to the rebels in the summer of 1775, the economy of Virginia was
based on slave labor. Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation that any
slave or indentured person would be given their freedom if they
took up arms with the British against the rebels. As a result, 2,000
slaves and indentured persons joined his forces. Later, other British supporters in the colonies issued similar
proclamations.
Then
the British Commander-in-chief at New York, Sir Henry Clinton, issued
the Philipsburg proclamation when the British realized they were
losing the war. It stated that any Negro to desert the rebel cause
would receive full protection, freedom, and land. It is estimated that many thousands of people of African descent
joined the British and became British supporters.
When
the Americans won the war and the Treaty of Paris was signed in
1783, British forces and their supporters had to leave the new United
States. They gathered at New York, waiting to be evacuated. In the
meantime, the Americans wanted their lost property returned. Sir
Guy Carleton, the new British Commander- in-chief, refused General
George Washington's demand for the return of those slaves who had
joined the British before November 30, 1782. The two men agreed
that the Americans would receive money instead.
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Certificate
of freedom, 1783
Nova
Scotia Archives and
Records Management. |
The
British-American
Commission identified the Black people in New York who had joined
the British before the surrender, and issued "certificates of freedom"
signed by General Birch or General Musgrave. Those who chose to
emigrate were evacuated by ship. To make sure no one attempted to
leave who did not have a certificate of freedom, the name of any
Black person on board a vessel, whether slave, indentured servant,
or free, was recorded, along with the details of enslavement, escape,
and military service, in a document called the Book of Negroes.
Between
April and November, 1783, 114 ships were inspected in New York harbour.
An unknown number of ships left New York and other ports before
and after these dates. Over 3,000 Black Loyalists were enrolled
in the Book of Negroes, but perhaps as many as 5,000 Black people
left New York for Nova Scotia, the West Indies, Quebec, England,
Germany, and Belgium.
Next: Black Loyalist Communities in Nova Scotia
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