Who were the Loyalists, and how did the breakaway affect them?

The loyalists were people in the British colonies that believed that the colonists should remain with Great Britain. Many of these people were concerned that disorder would result if the colonies became independent. They believed the British had provided a solid government structure that allowed the colonists to live in an orderly society. They also believed that the colonists didn’t have justifiable reasons for breaking free from Great Britain.
There were several ways that the loyalists were impacted by the colonies becoming independent. Some of the loyalists lost their jobs because they had worked for the British government. Once the colonies became free, those jobs disappeared. Loyalists were often harassed and shunned for their desire to remain with Great Britain. For example, some loyalists were tarred and feathered to punish them for their support of the British while others were arrested and jailed because of their views. It was not uncommon for the loyalists to have their property seized, and loyalists sometimes had to leave their homes in order to remain safe.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/13c.asp