The Story:
The Loyalists and the River

At the close of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, more than 100,000 residents of the Thirteen Colonies who had remained loyal to the King found themselves unwelcome in the new United States. Many had served in Loyalist Provincial and Militia regiments or had otherwise been active supporters of the Crown. Facing persecution by the victorious rebels, they were assigned new homes on land under British rule.

In little more than a year, 14,000 Loyalists came north to carve the province of New Brunswick out of what had been part of Nova Scotia. Many settled along the lower St. John River, clearing farms from the forest and establishing the communities we see today. “Spem Reduxit,” the New Brunswick Provincial motto, meaning “Hope Restored,” survives as a testament to their confidence in a better future. Follow the Loyalist Route and discover the stories of their lives in the Lower River Passage.