Through an Imperial Prism: Land, Liberty, and Highland Loyalism in the War of American Independence

Dziennik discusses the reasons for the remarkable loyalism of recent emigrants from the Scottish Highlands to the American colonies during the War of Independence. Highlander loyalty to the British Crown in America was not the product of a traditional, conservative mind-set and social structure, but rather stemmed from consciously chosen political decisions that reflected the new relationship of these immigrants to the British empire and its transatlantic commercial society. He identifies an aspiration to landholding as the most important motivation for Highlander loyalism in British North America. Thus, the American Highlanders became reconciled to American independence as their fears of losing rights and access to landed property abated. Reprinted by permission of the University of Chicago Press. © All rights reserved