But wait! It gets better: aside from the Yanks being so outraged by the acceptance of Catholics in Canada (they basically liked the old system where Catholics -virtually all of French Canada in other words- had virtually no rights at all) but they were also upset that all of the land between the 13 American colonies and the Louisiana Territory had been annexed to the Province of Quebec! Canada would have extended all the way to the Ohio River. In other words, the Yanks stood to lose a great deal of property they were lusting after if they did not revolt. So, that's exactly what they did, led by the most wealthy and elite members of society who refused to see any of their vast wealth going to help pay their fair share as part of the worldwide British Empire.
Now, it must be said that many French Canadians were still sore about their defeat at the hands of General Wolfe in the last war and might have gone along with the revolt, but before very much diplomacy could be done the Yankee colonists immediately invaded Canada. Their looting and destruction, combined with the special treatment Britain had just granted with the Quebec Act of 1774 meant that Canada was to remain firmly loyal to King and country. Of course, the revolutionary invasion was soundly defeated at Quebec City and the rebels were sent limping back home with the British army nipping at their heels.
Thankfully though, not all of the people in the 13 colonies were so terrible. There were a great many loyal Americans throughout the territory with particular concentrations in New York, Maryland, New Jersey and the southern colonies. In fact, during the height of the war there were actually more American loyalists fighting with the British regiments than there were treasonous Americans fighting with the revolutionary army -not that most U.S. history books will mention it. In the end it was these good Americans who were to suffer the most by the war and the victory of the rebels. Because of their loyalty to King and country these loyalists were harassed, persecuted, sometimes killed and were often arrested and had all of their property confiscated by the rebel government. At the end of the war more loyal Americans fled the United States than there were adherents of the 'ancien regime' who fled the French Revolution.
This mass exodus coming after Britain conceded the independence of the American colonies was entirely the U.S.' loss and Canada's gain. Many went to England, some to the West Indies but about 50,000 migrated north to Canada where they settled in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for the most part. These brave settlers, known as the "United Empire Loyalists" were instrumental in establishing the foundation of "English Canada" west of Quebec. There are still to this day proud descendants of these Empire Loyalists living in Canada and have the right to add the letters "UE" after their name -the only hereditary title in Canada. The United States though has never decided to deal fairly with these exiles. In direct violation of the treaty which recognized their independence the new American government refused to return the property they had taken from the loyalists. Some of their descendants in Canada today still assert their rights, but it is doubtful that the U.S. will ever honor their agreements to do right by the loyalists.
Nevertheless, the influx of colonists was, as stated, only to Canada's benefit. Aside from helping to establish the foundations of modern Canada, these loyalists were also instrumental in defeating another wicked invasion by the United States during the War of 1812, which as before failed miserably thanks to men like Sir Isaac Brock, the Canadian militia and some fierce First Nation warriors along with help from the United Empire Loyalists who knew the enemy very well indeed. From that time on Canada has always stood in mature and faithful contrast to the United States, gaining her independence soberly, peacefully, within the great worldwide family of the Commonwealth and enjoying much better circumstances because of it.