The Treaty of Paris of 1783 brought the American War of Independence to a formal end. But all was not resolved with the return of peace to North America. Loyalists had to build new lives in Canada and elsewhere across the British empire. Similarly, Canadians who had supported and fought for the revolutionary cause were no longer welcome in their ancestral homeland. After years of hardship in the ranks of the Continental Army, they remained south of the border. Both in and out of military service, Canadian soldiers and their families held the political and the military authorities of the United States to the lofty pledges they had made in 1775–1776. In response, despite acute financial constraints, American leaders sought to honor their word. Through varied forms of compensation, policymakers aimed to uphold the moral character of the young nation and to ensure that all those who sacrificed for liberty might reap the blessings of independence.

1783年的《巴黎条约》正式结束了美国独立战争。但是，随着北美洲恢复和平，一切都没有得到解决。效忠者必须在加拿大和整个大英帝国的其他地方建立新的生活。同样，在革命祖国中不再支持和为革命事业而奋斗的加拿大人。经过大陆军部队多年的艰苦奋斗，他们仍然留在边界以南。无论是在服役还是在服役期间，加拿大士兵及其家属都按照美国在1775年至1776年所作的崇高承诺，将美国的政治和军事当局持守。作为回应，尽管存在严重的财政困难，美国领导人还是努力兑现自己的诺言。通过各种形式的补偿，