Page 162 - American Stories, A History of the United States

in London was gradually transformed into a collection of bitter men and women who
felt unwelcome on both sides of the Atlantic. 5.1
Although many Loyalists eventually returned to their homes, a sizable number
could not do so. For them, the sense of loss was a heavy emotional burden. Perhaps the
most poignant testimony came from a young mother living in exile in Nova Scotia: “I Quick Check 5.2
climbed to the top of Chipman’s Hill and watched the sails disappear in the distance, Why did so many loyalists decide to
and such a feeling of loneliness came over me that though I had not shed a tear through leave the United States during the
all the war I sat down on the damp moss with my baby on my lap and cried bitterly.” Revolution? 5.3

conclusion: Preserving independence
The American people had waged war against the most powerful nation in Europe and 5.4
emerged victorious. The Treaty of Paris marked the conclusion of a colonial rebellion,
but it remained for the men and women who had resisted taxation without representa-
tion to work out the full implications of republicanism. What would the new govern-
ment look like? What powers would be delegated to the people, the states, the federal
authorities? How far would the wealthy, well-born leaders of the rebellion be willing to
extend political, social, and economic rights?
For many Americans the challenge of nation building appeared more formida-
ble than waging war against Britain. As Philadelphia physician Dr. Benjamin Rush
explained, “There is nothing more common than to confound the terms of American
Revolution with those of the late American war. The American war is over, but this is
far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but
the first act of the great drama is closed.”

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