July 10, 2026
Because so many of my ancestors were recent immigrants to the United States, I was surprised to find that I had several Revolutionary War Patriots. I was even more surprised to learn that I also had ancestors who’d supported the British during the Revolution.
Like most people of my generation, my knowledge of the Revolution was gained primarily through elementary and high school history classes. Back when I was in school, the coverage of the war was one-sided. My vision was that everyone was gung-ho for independence from England and ready to fight for their freedom.
I did learn that there were a few malcontents called Tories who supported Great Britain. I had the impression that there weren’t many of them. The Tories were the “bad guys” in the Revolution and were worse than the red-coated British soldiers who were just doing their duty.
I don’t remember ever learning much about what happened to those traitorous Tories, but I suppose I didn’t care much. They had chosen the “wrong side” of the war, after all, and deserved whatever fate befell them.
Decades later I learned about my ancestors who’d supported the British. I was prepared to be ashamed of them. After all they’d picked the “wrong side.” I soon realized that there was more to the story than I’d learned in school.
Those who remained committed to Great Britain are now usually called Loyalists rather than the more pejorative Tories. At the time of the Revolution, at least 20% of the American colonists supported continued union with Britain. Another 30% supported complete independence from Britain. About 40% of the population were neutral. Some of them were pacifists like the Quakers; others were backcountry farmers who just wanted to stay out of the fighting.
Some colonies had more Loyalists than others. New York, New Jersey and the southern colonies had large numbers of Loyalists. In addition, most Tribal Nations supported the British because they felt the Americans were more likely to take over their lands. Approximately 20,000 African Americans, both slave and free, also fought for the British.
Between 25,000 and 50,000 of the Loyalists joined the British army or fought in British-supporting militias. After the war ended, nearly 60,000 Loyalists fled the United States as refugees. Some of them went to England or the Caribbean, but most fled to Canada.
My own Loyalist ancestors sought refuge in Upper Canada. This area later became Ontario. Many of them received large land grants in Canada. If you suspect you have Loyalist ancestors, there are many Canadian records available about them. Family Search is a good starting place to access them.
As I delved further into the lives of my Loyalist ancestors, I found that most of them were not necessarily people to be ashamed of. They considered themselves to be Englishmen and women. By remaining loyal, they followed their beliefs.
As Americans, most of us believe that our Patriot ancestors chose the better path. There are many who might disagree. Just ask any Canadian.
If you have Loyalists in your family, you may find their stories as fascinating as those of your Patriot ancestors. They’re worth researching.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society