The Americans Who Left

The presidential pardon signed by Jimmy Carter in 1977 was a sweeping invitation to thousands of Americans to come home and help heal a nation torn apart by the Vietnam War. Those who had left for Canada to avoid the draft had wanted no part of the conflict, which killed about 60,000 Americans.

Canada had offered a refuge. It did not support the war and was willing to welcome, with few questions asked, those crossing the border.

Many war resisters, or draft dodgers as they were often called by others, were not interested in returning when Mr. Carter made his amnesty offer. Their decisions had come with high costs: ruptured family ties, broken friendships and, often, shame. While some hailed those who went to Canada as principled, others considered them cowardly.

Now, the 50th anniversary of the war’s end arrives at another turbulent moment.

For Americans living in Canada, President Trump’s economic attacks and threats to Canada’s sovereignty have again stirred uneasy feelings about the United States.

I traveled across Canada and spoke to roughly a dozen people who had left America, most now in their 70s or 80s, who reflected on their decisions to leave and their feelings about both countries. Here’s what they had to say.

The Optimist