A major problem for the United States after the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was that tens of thousands of Loyalists, due to the climate of violence and fear that still existed after the conflict (particularly in the South), fled the country, retreating with the British army to Britain and other parts of the British Empire (Jamaica, Bahamas, India) and also to Canada, settling primarily in the regions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Since those Loyalists were often wealthy and educated, and they had been part of the thriving and cohesive upper class that controlled much of the industry and the commerce in areas such as New York or Boston, the social structure of the colonies changed significantly after their departure.