A person who adheres to his sovereign or to the lawful authority; especially, one who maintains his allegiance to his prince or government, and defends his cause in times of revolt or revolution
A loyalist is a person who remains firm in their support for a government or ruler. Party loyalists responded as they always do, waving flags and carrying placards. American colonist loyal to Britain in the American Revolution. About one-third of American colonists were loyalists, including officeholders who served the British crown, large landholders, wealthy merchants, Anglican clergy and their parishioners, and Quakers. Loyalists were most numerous in the South, New York, and Pennsylvania, but they did not constitute a majority in any colony. At first they urged moderation in the struggle for colonial rights; when denounced by radical patriots, they became active partisans. Some joined the British army, including 23,000 from New York; when captured in battle, they were treated as traitors. All states passed laws against them, confiscating or heavily taxing their property. Beginning in 1776, about 100,000 loyalists fled into exile, many to Canada. Public sentiment against them diminished after 1789, and punitive state laws were repealed by 1814
A person who is loyal to the authority In colonial America, a Loyalist was (usually) a Tory who remained loyal to the King and his government in England during the Revolutionary War Most Loyalists either moved to Canada during or after the war Some Loyalists were forced to leave their homes and properties by those who supported the revolution
In general terms, one who is loyal, especially one who supports a countrys established government in time of revolt; in the Western Hemisphere, this term most often refers to colonists loyal to the British government around the time of the American Revolution