The monument is built up of large blocks of red Island sandstone with a heavy cap of the same stone. In one face is this bronze plaque and the coat of arms of the Abegweit Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada. In the other, rear, side is another bronze plaque bearing the coat of arms of the province of Prince Edward Island. The monument stands along a walkway across Heather Moyse Drive from the waterfront.
With the onset of the American Revolution those on American soil who remained loyal to the Crown faced, first harassment, then exile from the U.S. Many returned to England while those who could not afford to do so sought refuge in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia. The exile of over 80,000 Loyalists from the U.S. was the "
largest single movement of people for political reasons in North American history".
1783 - 1983
To commemorate the Bicentennial of the United Empire Loyalists and Disbanded Troops who settled on the Isle of Saint John following the American Revolution.
These courageous Loyal Refugees contributed greatly to the development and growth of a tiny colony struggling for independence and prosperity.
The Memorial erected in 1987 by the Abegweit Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.
From the Plaque
WHO WERE THE LOYALISTS?
The Loyalists came from every class and walk of life. Some depended on the Crown for their livelihood and status and had considerable wealth and property. Many were farmers and craftsmen. There were clerks and clergymen, lawyers and labourers, soldiers and slaves, Native Americans, college graduates, and people who could not write their own names. Recent immigrants from Europe also tended to support the Crown.
They had little in common but their opposition to the revolution. Their reasons for becoming Loyalists were as varied as their backgrounds. Some had strong ties with Britain: others had simply supported what turned out to be the losing side. Local incidents, fear of change, self-interest, political principles, emotional bonds - one or any combination of these influenced their decision to remain loyal to the Crown. The common thread that linked these diverse groups was a distrust of too much democracy which they believed resulted in mob rule and an accompanying breakdown of law and
order. The Reverend Mather Byles mused, "
Which is better - to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?" Loyalists believed that the British connection guaranteed them a more secure and prosperous life than republicanism would.
Historians estimate that ten to fifteen per cent of the population of the Thirteen Colonies - some 250,000 people - opposed the revolution; some passively, others by speaking out, spying, or fighting against the rebels. Because of their political convictions, Loyalists who remained in the Thirteen Colonies during the revolution were branded as traitors and hounded by their Patriot (rebel) neighbours.
Patriot authorities punished Loyalists who spoke their views too loudly by stripping them of their property and goods and banishing them on pain of death should they ever return. They coerced others into silence with threats. Throughout the Thirteen Colonies that were under Patriot control, Loyalists could not vote, sell land, sue
debtors, or work as lawyers, doctors, or schoolteachers. To be fair, in Loyalist controlled areas, supporters of the Revolution met with similar treatment at the hands of British authorities.
Approximately 70,000 Loyalists fled the Thirteen Colonies. Of these, roughly 50,000 went to the British North American Colonies of Quebec and Nova Scotia.
For some, exile began as early as 1775 when "committees of safety" throughout the Thirteen Colonies began to harass British sympathizers. Other responded by forming Loyalist regiments: The King's Royal Regiment of New York, Skinner's New Jersey Volunteers, The Pennsylvania and Maryland Loyalists, Butler's Rangers, Rogers'
Rangers and Jessup's Corps were the best known of some 50 Loyalist regiments that campaigned actively during the war.
The signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783), which recognized the independence of the United States, was the final blow for the Loyalists. Faced with further mistreatment and the hostility of their countrymen, and wishing to live as British subjects, Loyalists
who had remained in the Thirteen Colonies during the war now were faced with exile. Those who wished to remain in North America had two choices; Nova Scotia (Maritimes) or Quebec (Ontario-Quebec).
From the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada