Within you will find a combination of information we believe to be unique among sites dealing with the Loyalists of the American Revolution.
It is our goal to provide reliable, high quality material on the Loyalists in the fields of:
While the material contained herein is for use by anyone interested in this aspect of the American Revolution, it is primarily intended for those with a working background in Loyalist studies.
It is probably best at this point to state what we consider a Loyalist to be or what falls within the realm of Loyalist studies, as our definition differs greatly from others with which you may be familiar.
What is a Loyalist?
For our purposes, we define a Loyalist as any inhabitant of North America, from Newfoundland to Nicaragua inclusive, plus the islands of the West Indies, Bermuda and Jamaica, who served in a military capacity for the British, or provided services of a military nature or other beneficial services to the Crown.
This definition includes those who fought in the war and remained in America afterward, those who deserted, those who settled outside of America afterward, and those who were discharged or died during the war.
There were, of course, Loyalist Civilians, in numbers probably greater than the military, but the material contained within is geared predominately towards the military.
We cover some items that are tangents of the military, such as the theater, church records, and women's studies. A special section is devoted to the role of Black Loyalists. While we have not specifically covered Native Americans as a group, we do have material concerning the Indian Department, which was, generally speaking, those Americans and Europeans who led and served alongside them. We also delve into the British Regiments insofar as they relate to Loyalists.
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What will I find here?
The material we have chosen to include here represents a sampling of manuscripts relating to the Loyalist military, including muster rolls, orderly books, regimental documents, courts martial and memorials.
You will find genealogical information including links, sources of information, land petitions and post war settlement documents.
And last but not least, you will find information on how the Loyalists are portrayed today throughout the US and Canada in Living History organizations, including photo galleries, schedules of events, and information on how to join a group in your area.
The manuscript material, in particular, is not intended to give you everything you need to know about a given regiment; but rather, through select documents, to illustrate the types of material available while providing a glimpse into the regiment's participation in the war through original writings and official documents.
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So, by all means, come on in and have a look around! Try out our Search feature to find those long lost ancestors or post a "hello" in our Guestbook.
We hope that you enjoy your time here and that you will pass the word along to others who have an interest in the Loyalists of the American Revolution.
Thank you for visiting!
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The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
For information please contact Todd Braisted
