Birchtown and the Black Loyalist Experience

This book chronicles experiences of Black loyalist refugees who came to Nova Scotia from the American Revolution. Freed and enslaved Black Americans had joined the British side and, for their loyalty, were evacuated by the British Navy to Nova Scotia, where they were to receive freedom, land, and provisions.

The Black Loyalists landed at a settlement they named Birchtown, adjoining the white Loyalist town of Shelburne. They experienced extreme hardship, racism, and were targeted by rioting White Loyalists.

Many Black Loyalists ultimately abandoned Nova Scotia to go to Sierra Leone, West Africa, founding a new settlement there. Others remained, and their descendants are found in Shelburne and other communities across Nova Scotia and beyond.

Through images, artifacts, and text, this book tells the story of Birchtown and its residents as well as the larger story of Black Loyalist history, reflecting the research and exhibits in the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown.