| − | A '''loyalist''' is one who pledges loyalty to a particular body, usually a [[political parties|political organisation]], [[nation]] or leader. | + | A '''loyalist''' is one who pledges loyalty to a particular body, usually a [[political parties|political organization]], [[nation]] or leader. |
| − | In the [[United Kingdom]] the term "Loyalist" often refers to the majority [[Protestant]] population of [[Northern Ireland]] who pledge allegiance to the British Crown as opposed to the [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] minority who tend to favor unification with the [[Republic of Ireland]]. | + | In the [[United Kingdom]] the term "Loyalist" often refers to the majority [[Protestant]] population of [[Northern Ireland]] who pledge allegiance to the British Crown as opposed to the [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] minority who tend to favor unification with the [[Republic of Ireland]]. The term was also used for people who remained loyal to the [[British Empire]] during the [[Revolutionary War]]. Their descendants, the [[United Empire Loyalists]] settled along the [[St. Lawrence River]] in what is now [[Ontario]]. |