Focus

Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World

 

When the British left America after the Revolution it was cause for celebration, but not all Americans were pleased to see the redcoats sail away. Fearing for their safety, some 60,000 Americans who had remained loyal to the crown decided to leave and make new lives elsewhere in the British Empire. In a program from the archives, Harvard historian Maya Jasanoff talks about her book "Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World." It explores the many ways that the loyalist diaspora helped Britain overcome a stinging defeat and go on to become a world power.

This is a repeat broadcast from Thursday, March 31, 2011, 11 am