The American Loyalist Claims Commission was a formal British governmental body established after the end of the American Revolution in 1783. The commission's purpose was to review claims submitted by British citizens residing in America or Canada who remained loyal to the British crown during the war and as a result lost some or all of their property, livelihood, or were negatively impacted in some other way. After reviewing the claims various loyalists submitted, the commission would then compensate those loyalists that they deemed deserving. The application process was complicated and required the submission of an extensive written claim along with testimony from other loyalists recommending the claimant and proof of the losses sustained. Consequently, it was often only those loyalists that were the most prominent prior to the war that received compensation for their claims.