The loyalists of America and their times

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21012

Title

The loyalists of America and their times

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Chief Superintendent Egerton Ryerson presents a documentary history vindicating United Empire Loyalists, correcting American narratives with original records. This work defends British constitutional rights, exposes Puritan persecution, and celebrates Canadian patriotism against American invasions.

Summary up to 500 words

In *The Loyalists of America and Their Times*, Egerton Ryerson presents a definitive historical defense of the United Empire Loyalists, challenging the prevailing American narrative that he argues has been written exclusively by their enemies. Ryerson contends that American historians have deprecatingly portrayed everything English while ignoring original authorities. To correct these 'fictions,' he constructs his narrative exclusively from proclamations, documents, and records from the era itself, rather than relying on popular narratives. The work begins by distinguishing between two distinct emigrations to New England: the 'Pilgrim Fathers' of 1620 and the 'Puritan Fathers' of 1629. Ryerson highlights the Pilgrims' loyalty to successive English sovereigns and their simple, just government, contrasting them sharply with the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay. He details how the Puritans, despite professing membership in the Church of England upon leaving, established a theocratic government that persecuted Episcopalians, Baptists, and Presbyterians. Ryerson documents the suppression of dissenting voices, the violation of Royal Charters, and the 'seed-plot of the American Revolution' born of this religious and political oppression. The narrative extends through the Revolutionary War, where Loyalists were exiled from their homes, and into the War of 1812. Ryerson emphasizes the immense courage of Canadians, who defended their country against eleven American invasions despite a population ratio of one to twenty-seven compared to the United States. He notes that even with a population in Upper Canada as low as one to one hundred and six against the invaders, Canadian defenders, aided by a few English regiments, successfully repelled the hostile armies. Ryerson concludes that the Loyalists were the losing party in a contest for constitutional rights. Their history has been strangely misrepresented by their adversaries. His work serves to rewrite this history, honoring the character and merits of the Loyalists as the true founders of Canada. By offering the records and documents of the actors themselves, Ryerson erects an historical monument to their legacy, vindicating their struggle for British constitutional rights against the despotic instructions and unconstitutional assumptions of the revolutionary era.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Politics