ebooks Hostages to Fortune: The United Empire Loyalists and the Making of Canada by Peter C Newman in History

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fantastic ReadBy CustomerDefinable well worth a gander. Objective American history - from the non-Republican perspective - ought to be made more aware.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy CustomerGood3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The First Anglo-CanadiansBy Alastair BrowneThe American Revolution produced not one; but two countries. The United States and Canada.This book tells of the American Revolution; the settling of Canada; and the subsequent War of 1812 from the Loyalist point of view. The author; Peter Newman; descended from American Loyalists who fled to Canada to build what became a new nation loyal to the British Crown; and as he wrote this book; he has a British Union Flag; pre-1801 (before the cross of St. Patrick was added to it) proudly hanging up in his study.“Hostages to Fortune” mostly explains the history of Canada’s beginnings from the American Revolution onward; but also briefly focuses on one family in different stages of the book; the Jarvises from Plainville; Connecticut; and in a few instances; General Simcoe of the Rangers; a Loyalist segment of the British Army; though he himself was British.General Simcoe is worthy of mention here because; although the Revolutionary Wars was literally a bloodbath; Simcoe himself did not tolerate any disobedience or transgressions from his soldiers. Plundering and abusing any civilians; loyal to the Crown or not; was strictly forbidden; and he sentenced two of his own soldiers to death for raping an American woman.Although the book tells the Loyalist point of view; the author; Peter Newman; does give justice to the American patriots in both wars (the revolution and the War of 1812).Britain and the Colonies’ victory over the French and Indian War in 1763 landed them all the lands in North America formerly belonging to the French. Because of this; Britain had an enormous was debt that had to be paid; and they expected the American colonists to pay their share; in the form of taxation. This included the Stamp Act; the Sugar Act; the Currency Act (restricting the printing of money); and many colonists were forced to quarter British soldiers against their will. The climax was the infamous Boston Tea Party.Grievances were expressed; but the British government refused to hear them. Colonists wanted representatives in Parliament; but the British refused. There were British statesmen like William Pitt (not mentioned in this book) and others willing to redress the grievances of the colonists; but they were in the minority; and were push aside by King George III and Parliament. Had they been listened to; the colonists never would have rebelled.But they did rebel; in 1775; to preserve their rights as Englishmen. It was only a year later that they declared their independence.This is where the war itself goes into great detail. It was fierce and bloody; with American turning on American; depending on what side they chose. If one just simply voiced their opinion for the Crown; they were considered traitors and were persecuted. They were lynched; their homes were burned; looted; and sometimes even the women were mutilated. There were no limits to what humans did to one another; and there were times when the Loyalist reacted in the same manner. This was literally America’s first Civil War.There is one fact the book omits. The author states that America was divided into two groups; but there were really three; one third were Patriots; one third were Loyalists; and one third didn’t give a damn.The Loyalist formed regiments trained by the British; and they fought just as fiercely as the Patriots. They also had help from the Indians; especially the Iroquois.The Patriots fared badly at first; and it is mentioned here that General George Washington lost far more battles than he won.The war could have been won for the British had it not been for the blunder of a few British generals. Also; France stepped in; increasing the Brits disadvantage even more.Fast forward to Yorktown; and the Patriots got their country; and the Loyalists were driven into Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; and Upper Canada; forming a settlement up there called York; now Toronto.The next few chapters focuses on the hardships of the Loyalist up in Canada. They did not live in shame and retained their allegiance to the British Crown.The settling of this new land was harsh. They built log cabins; but the winters were cold and bitter; and there was a lack of food; and many did not survive. The one who did grew stronger; and homesteaded their land; digging in their heels determined never again to be driven off of it. Their test would come in 1812.Again; the author does justice for the Americans in the War of 1812.There were three main reasons for the war; two of them were justifiable for the Americans. One; American ships at sea were being impressed by the British Navy; forcing American crewmen onto their ships to serve in the British forces. Two; there were British forts in the American Northwest Territories; supplying Indians with guns and denying American pioneers settlement in the frontier of their own country. Three; the American’s wanted to annex Canada; not so justifiable for the Americans.Focusing on Canada; in almost every attack on Canadian soil; the Americans were beaten off in defeat by the Loyalists. This is because the Loyalist; due to the climate and the Canadian frontier; were hard core; fierce; and determined never to lose their land to the Americans again. This is Canada’s point of view; and from the way they see it; they won the war; with help from the British; by not being conquered of losing an inch of their territory.From the American viewpoint; the U.S. eventually gained complete freedom of the seas and got the British off of U.S. soil; and this became the Second War for Independence. The U.S. succeeded in two out of their three endeavors.Canada was granted independence in 1867 and they have maintained their pride in British-Canadian history.What this book is pointing out is that there was no shame in being a Loyalist for the British in the American Revolution. They were not traitors; and when the U.S. broke away from Britain; they migrated north to form their own separate country.Beginning in 1830; there was massive immigration from the British Isles and later Europe; eventually diluting the American Loyalist pedigree in Canada. Immigration continues to this day; but from Asia; Africa; and the Middle East.The original British-Canadians were Americans. It can be said that had it not been for the American Revolution; Canada today would not have existed.