美国革命时期英国对流亡效忠派的补偿探析

Britain’s Compensation for the Exiled American Loyalists during the American Revolution

在美国革命时期,英国对流亡效忠派的补偿,经历了从临时补助到建立补偿机制的过程。英国对其补偿的初衷不仅是因流亡效忠派对英王的忠诚,更多是基于英国的利益需要。因美国拒绝赔偿流亡效忠派、英国对外贸易的需求及效忠派群体各自为政等原因,使英国对流亡效忠派的实际补偿额只达到其期望的1/3。未获得预期补偿的效忠派除少数重返美国外,大部分都参与到英帝国新一轮的殖民活动中。其中,在英属加拿大殖民地的流亡效忠派强烈认同自己的英国臣民身份,忠于英国王室、注重和平与秩序,此温和保守的政治特性已成为加拿大政治传统的一部分。这也与英国对流亡效忠派的补偿举措不无关系。

During the American Revolution,Britain’s compensation for the exiled loyalists went through a process from the temporary assistance to the establishment of a compensation mechanism.The original intention of Britain was based on British interests,rather than the exiled loyalists’ allegiance to the British King.As a result,Britain’s actual compensation for the exiled loyalists reached only one-third of its expectations due to America’s refosal to pay comensation to the exiled loyalists,the change in the policy of British foreigp trade,and the dispersion of the loyalists.Except for a few who returned to the United States,most of those loyalists did not receive the expected compensation were trying to involve with the forthcoming of the British Empire.The exiled loyalists participated in the colonial domination of the British Empire.On the one hand,it shows some North American’s identity as British subjects.On the other hand,it lays the foundation for the anti-American consciousness in the British Empire.The generation of this consciousness is also related to Britain’s compensation for the exiled loyalists.