The United Empire Loyalists: A Chronicle of the Great Migration [1920 ed.]

"The United Empire Loyalists: A Chronicle of the Great Migration" by W. Stewart Wallace is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the experiences of the United Empire Loyalists, those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution and subsequently migrated from the United States to Canada. It explores the broader impacts of this migration on both Canadian and American history, particularly focusing on the social, political, and demographic changes that ensued as a result. The opening of the book sets the stage by highlighting the historical treatment of the Loyalists by various historians, particularly noting how their stories were often distorted or overlooked. Wallace discusses the significant misrepresentation faced by the Loyalists in American accounts of the Revolution, where they were depicted negatively and as a marginalized group. The author intends to provide a more balanced perspective, illuminating the complex dynamics of loyalty, politics, and migration during this pivotal time in history. He emphasizes the transformative influence the Loyalists had on the formation of Canada, changing its demographic landscape and contributing to the development of British North America. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Stewart Wallace was a Canadian historian, librarian, and editor. His historical reference works were considered "of inestimable value in Canadian studies." Canadian professor of political economy Harold Innis (1894–1952) was influenced by a maxim of the then McMaster University professor Wallace, "that the economic interpretation of history is not the only interpretation but is the deepest interpretation."