In the time immediately after the Revolutionary War in the US, what was the attitude towards those who had supported Britain?

British troops and allies evacuate New York in November 1783.

The narrative for this topic usually begins and ends with the fact that more than 60,000 Loyalists fled the country when British troops left after the Treaty of Paris. Many went to Canada, where they formed a segment of the population uniquely loyal to the British Empire. But that isn’t the whole story. A more comprehensive answer is much more complex, and ends up with the fact that most Loyalists were able to rejoin American society after the war. As one historian puts it:

“After the American Revolution a number of Loyalists, those colonial Americans who remained loyal to England during the War for Independence, did not relocate to the other dominions of the British Empire. Instead, they sought to return to their homes and restart their lives. Despite fierce opposition to their return from all across the Confederation, their attempts to become part of a newly independent America were generally successful. Thus, after several years of struggle most former Loyalists who wanted to return were able to do so.” (Aaron Coleman, PhD, currently professor of history at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.)

The War of Independence was long and hard. Loyalist militias and volunteer units had fought with the British, burning homes of Patriots and fighting battles against Continental forces. Obviously many people in the new country had serious grievances against Loyalists.