The Pioneers:  The Loyalists
The Loyalists
Imagine having such a huge disagreement with your best friend or your neighbour, that you had to move away to a new country.  If the disagreement started a  war, the problem got bigger.  People got hurt and even killed. Over two hundred years ago, people living in The Thirteen Colonies, the origins of the United States of America, had to choose between the new independent country of America or loyalty to their old home country of England.  The people who chose to be loyal to England and King George III, became known as Loyalists, and they were the people who had to leave to find a new land.  The land they picked, was Canada.   Keep in mind however, not all the "Loyalists" who came to Canada were British.  Joseph Brant was a Loyalist Mohawk who was given a land grant along the Grand River where Brantford is today. As early as 1774, some of these Loyalist started coming to Upper Canada and eventually to the London area.  In fact, they were some of the first pioneers to arrive.   By the 1791, approximately 6,000 Loyalists had settled in Upper Canada.   Since Upper Canada soon became known as Ontario, in 1867, the motto for Ontario is, "Loyal she began; loyal she remains".  What do you think that means?
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More Information: Exploring Canada by Paul Collins and Norman Sheffe New Beginnings A Social History of Canada Volume 1 by James H. Marsh and Daniel Francis Canada: Imigrants and Settlers by Ian Hundey

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