Black loyalists

Between 26 April and 30 Nov. 1783, about 3,000 Black loyalists were sent by ship to Nova Scotia. During the American revolution they had joined the British forces, following the proclamation issued by the governor of Virginia in 1775 promising freedom to rebel-owned slaves who supported the loyalist cause. After the provisional peace agreement was signed, they were evacuated to Nova Scotia, where they established a community but were victims of discriminatory practices and lacked the means of self-support. In 1792, 1,190 Black loyalists departed and would establish a colony of freed slaves in Sierra Leone.