Patriots, Loyalist, and the Neutral Ones Stuck in the Middle
Patriots, Loyalist, and the Neutral Ones Stuck in the Middle
Today’s America is known for many things; however, one of the things it is notorious for is being a free country. Becoming a free country did not come without many trials and tribulations. The freedom that the American people now have grown so accustomed to started with fierce opposition not only from Britain, but from many of the Englishmen who lived in American colonies. The people that supported Britain throughout the American Revolution are referred to as Loyalists. On the other side of the spectrum, the people that strongly opposed Britain’s rule and King George III are known as Patriots. Patriots fought against the acts that Britain wanted to enforce and believed the colonies should have independence from Britain. Last there were the people who were neutral. While the Patriots and Loyalists were large in numbers, those in the neutral party were the minority, often suffering hardship due to their stance. Although the Patriots found unity in the beliefs they held towards Britain, they were a blend of people from many different backgrounds. Patriots were a blended group of people from different social classes, from farmers to lawyers. They did not all share the same education level or common interests. The Patriot party was not fueled by people who were seeking their own power just for the purpose of being free. They were a group of people who felt like Britain was unjust in their tactics of rule. “During, and immediately after the military conflict, a ferment of ideas — argued and discussed by an assemblage of remarkable men whose likes have rarely been seen — produced an innovative combination of republicanism and federalism that would serve as a model form of government for humankind, offering fresh political opportunities.” (Cowley and Parker 2001) The Patriots were against what they felt was unfair taxation, which was the beginning foundation of “no taxation without representation.” Some
Today’s America is known for many things; however, one of the things it is notorious for is being a free country. Becoming a free country did not come without many trials and tribulations. The freedom that the American people now have grown so accustomed to started with fierce opposition not only from Britain, but from many of the Englishmen who lived in American colonies. The people that supported Britain throughout the American Revolution are referred to as Loyalists. On the other side of the spectrum, the people that strongly opposed Britain’s rule and King George III are known as Patriots. Patriots fought against the acts that Britain wanted to enforce and believed the colonies should have independence from Britain. Last there were the people who were neutral. While the Patriots and Loyalists were large in numbers, those in the neutral party were the minority, often suffering hardship due to their stance. Although the Patriots found unity in the beliefs they held towards Britain, they were a blend of people from many different backgrounds. Patriots were a blended group of people from different social classes, from farmers to lawyers. They did not all share the same education level or common interests. The Patriot party was not fueled by people who were seeking their own power just for the purpose of being free. They were a group of people who felt like Britain was unjust in their tactics of rule. “During, and immediately after the military conflict, a ferment of ideas — argued and discussed by an assemblage of remarkable men whose likes have rarely been seen — produced an innovative combination of republicanism and federalism that would serve as a model form of government for humankind, offering fresh political opportunities.” (Cowley and Parker 2001) The Patriots were against what they felt was unfair taxation, which was the beginning foundation of “no taxation without representation.” Some
Cited: Cowley, Robert, and Geoffrey Parker. Reader 's Companion to Military History. Wilmington: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. Fellman, Michael. Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War. Oxford University Press, 1990. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011. http://www.hmheducation.com/fl/pdf/resources/Grade5/T-5-1_SFLETG713311_TGL08.pdf (accessed September 14, 2012). Todd, Anne M. The Revolutionary War. Capstone, 2001.