The aftermath of the American Revolution resulted in the formal division of Upper and Lower Canada (later, Ontario and Quebec) to accommodate loyalists fleeing persecution in the new United States. Distribution of land throughout Southern Ontario brought major change to Eastern Ontario. Cornwall (and the surrounding area), originally called "Royal Township #2" and "Johnstown", was a rough place, and bred a local culture of self-reliance. Mille Roches' settlers and residents were more effectively integrated into the increasingly tight-knit region after the Loyalist arrival, with Cornwall as its economic centre.