After the American Revolution -- The Boost to Canada [15min]

In 1783, the Treaty of Paris concluded at Versailles, formally giving the Americans their independence from the British. This did not mean that the two nations had nothing more to do with each other. Before the War of Independence, the commercial links between colony and mother country were very profitable. There was no reason to abandon the transatlantic lucrative markets. The preamble to the 1783 Treaty made the position clear, both countries should "…forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correspondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the two countries upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and harmony…" "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)

The losers were the Indians and the African slaves. The Treaty of Paris carved up the Indian homelands and they never recovered them. Also any chance of freedom for slaves immediately disappeared. Twenty per cent of the population were slaves; Virginia for example, was a slave society like some of the West Indies islands. Slaves were America's biggest commercial asset.

Losing America had long term political discussions and, even in the 21st century, historians debate whose fault it was almost as if the affair was simply misfortunate rather than the inevitable development of a new nation. Also, there were two clear advantages to the British: they no longer had to finance the defence of the colony and, because the majority of British loyalists left the new country, the British now had a stronger hold on Canada. Many of the loyalists were third-, even fourth-, generation settlers. They had few roots and prospects in Britain, the other colonies were difficult places to re-establish themselves and so most of them went north Canada. Here was the rump of British who would counter the French influence in Canada. It is possible that without them, Britain would have lost Canada as well.