“This Perilous Hour of Trial, Horror & Distress”: Loyalist Exile and Return

BOSTON – Between April 1775 and the early months of 1783, more than 75,000 colonists, most prominently known as “loyalists,” fled the upheaval of the Revolution for the protection of the British Empire. On Thursday, Sept. 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., join Dr. G. Patrick O’Brien on Zoom for a talk that explores what it meant to be a loyalist during the American Revolution. Concentrating on a few loyalist families from the greater Boston area, including that of Rev. Mather Byles Jr., the rector of Old North Church until 1775, the discussion will focus on the hardships of wartime exile and the role these figures had in bringing families back to their American homes after the war.

The virtual event is accessible with a donation of any amount to support Old North Illuminated’s virtual and on-site programs, which aim to inspire children and adults alike to consider the ways in which they can build a more just and equitable world. To register, visit: https://www.oldnorth.com/events/.