Loyalist Migration and Settlement

Active learning works for this topic because the complexities of Loyalist migration and settlement require students to engage with multiple perspectives and evidence. When students analyze treaties, examine resources, and explore resistance, they move beyond passive listening to construct their own understanding of historical impacts and injustices.

• Grade 6
• Social Studies
• 3 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the primary motivations for United Empire Loyalist migration to British North America following the American Revolution.
2. Analyze the demographic, economic, and social impacts of Loyalist settlement on existing communities in British North America.
3. Evaluate the significant challenges faced by Loyalists in establishing new settlements, including land acquisition, resource management, and integration with existing populations.
4. Compare the settlement patterns and experiences of different Loyalist groups, such as Black Loyalists, Indigenous Loyalists, and those from various social classes.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Treaty Perspectives

Groups examine a specific treaty from two perspectives: the written English version and the oral Indigenous understanding. They create a T-chart to compare the different interpretations of land 'sharing' versus land 'surrender.'

Prepare & details

Explain the motivations behind Loyalist migration to British North America.

Facilitation Tip: During the Collaborative Investigation on Treaty Perspectives, assign each group a specific treaty or land agreement to analyze for bias, omissions, or coercive language.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Impact on Resources

Students consider how the arrival of fences and farms changed the way Indigenous people hunted or gathered food. They share one specific challenge with a partner and brainstorm how a community might adapt.

Prepare & details

Analyze how the arrival of Loyalists transformed existing communities.

Facilitation Tip: For the Think-Pair-Share on Impact on Resources, provide students with primary sources that describe environmental changes after settlement, such as deforestation or disrupted waterways.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Resistance and Resilience

The teacher displays images and stories of Indigenous leaders who stood up for their people's rights. Students move through the gallery, noting the different strategies used, such as petitions or alliances.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the challenges Loyalists faced in establishing new settlements.

Facilitation Tip: When conducting the Gallery Walk on Resistance and Resilience, post images and quotes from Indigenous leaders alongside Loyalist accounts to provoke thoughtful comparisons.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing Loyalist migration as part of a larger process of colonial expansion, not an isolated event. Avoid presenting the Loyalists as simply 'refugees' without addressing their role in displacing others. Use primary sources to humanize all groups involved and emphasize the agency of Indigenous nations in defending their lands and livelihoods.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students explaining how Loyalist migration disrupted Indigenous communities through specific examples, not just general statements. They should connect treaty negotiations, resource impacts, and acts of resistance to the broader theme of colonial dominance and land dispossession.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Collaborative Investigation on Treaty Perspectives, watch for students assuming treaties were willingly agreed upon by all parties.

What to Teach Instead

Use the treaty analysis to highlight how cultural misunderstandings and power imbalances shaped agreements. Have students identify which terms favored the British and where Indigenous perspectives were excluded.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share on Impact on Resources, watch for students believing that Indigenous nations simply 'moved away' when resources declined.

What to Teach Instead

Use primary sources to show how Indigenous communities adapted their practices, negotiated with settlers, or resisted policies that restricted access to traditional lands and resources.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Think-Pair-Share on Impact on Resources, ask students to write down one way Loyalist settlement affected Indigenous access to a specific resource and one example of how an Indigenous community responded.

Discussion Prompt

During the Gallery Walk on Resistance and Resilience, facilitate a class discussion where students compare the images and quotes they saw. Ask them to explain how these examples challenge the idea that Indigenous nations were passive in the face of settlement.

Quick Check

After the Collaborative Investigation on Treaty Perspectives, provide students with a treaty excerpt and ask them to identify one clause that reveals an imbalance of power between the signatories.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research a specific Indigenous nation’s response to Loyalist settlement and prepare a one-minute oral summary for the class.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide sentence starters for responses during the Think-Pair-Share, such as 'The arrival of Loyalists affected Indigenous access to _____ by _____.'
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare Loyalist settlement patterns in different regions (e.g., Maritimes vs. Upper Canada) and analyze how geography influenced outcomes.

Key Vocabulary

United Empire Loyalists	Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War and subsequently migrated to British North America.
Black Loyalists	Enslaved or free Black individuals who supported the British during the American Revolution, often in exchange for promises of freedom and land.
Land Grants	Parcels of land allocated by the British Crown to Loyalists as compensation for property lost in the American colonies and to encourage settlement.
Regiments	Military units formed by Loyalists who fought alongside the British Army during the American Revolution, often receiving land or provisions after the war.
Treaty of Paris (1783)	The treaty that officially ended the American Revolutionary War, which included provisions regarding the treatment and property of Loyalists.