"A Black Loyalist was an inhabitant of British America of African descent who joined British colonial forces during the American Revolutionary War. Many were slaves held by Patriot rebels, and decided to join the British in exchange for The Crown's promises of freedom.Some 3,000 Black Loyalists were evacuated from New York to Nova Scotia; they were individually listed in the Book of Negroes as the British gave them certificates of freedom and arranged for transport."@en . . . . . .