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Patriots and the loyalist perspective
Synopsis of the history of patriotism
Perspective of loyalists vs patriots
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Revolutionary Ideas: Patriots vs. Loyalists In early America, there were three factions that developed within the colonies- Loyalists, Patriots, and fence-sitters (neutral). This melting pot of different ideas, goals, and outlooks is what made pre-Revolutionary War America so volatile. These three factions seem easy to identify, Patriots wanted freedom from the crown all together, Loyalists want to stay British, and fence-sitters want to stay out of the political battle all together. However, it goes much farther than that, many different backgrounds and goals drove these people forward. Many did not take up the title of Loyalist or Patriot unless the struggles affected them directly, many more only took sides when it was profitably to them and for some it was because they had no choice in the matter. The Loyalist party has existed since the founding of the British colonies. As the colonies grew into strong political and economic entities the attachment to England intensified. The only way to build wealth and political power in the beginning was to support the Crown so they would be granted economical favors or political postings. “Historians have investigated the backgrounds of known Tories and have revealed that persons who favored the cause of the king were commonly officeholders and frequently Church of England clergymen” (Patriots and Loyalists, 283). The Loyalist did not understand the Patriots desire for independence, because the loss of money and the threat of war was an invitation to ruin. The Loyalist viewed the actions of the British government and the use of military force as justified in order to quell the uprising that interfered with the building of wealth and power. “Can there be a zealot for prolonging these unnat... ... middle of paper ... ...ies to the British crown, such as officials and soldiers, whose economics relied on the British Crown. This was true, but in many cases, their reasons were much simpler. Many Loyalists were simply happy with the status quo; this was the government in which they were accustomed. Others saw the Patriots as hooligans and outlaws, while others had invested heavily in British goods, and others still did not want the prospect of war. Many consider the power that the British soldiers, or “Red Coats”, had in the American colonies as justified under the British Crown. They were the police force, arresting and upholding the British laws. Many people who held the title of Loyalist saw the frequently violent actions of the Patriots as criminal in nature instead of heroic as the Patriots saw them, and as such refused to assist them even if some agreed with them to an extent.
According to Carl N. Degler, the entire Revolution should be viewed as a conservative change. In “A New Kind of Revolution,” Degler talked about how the new actions taken place by the English had help structure and shape the colonial government. Not only did the colonies lack the affection of their motherland, Britain, they were also taxed unfairly. On the other hand, “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” by Gordon S. Wood talks about how the American Revolution was a radical movement. His thesis covered how the country was transitioning from monarchy to republic, and now, democracy. The framers wanted to create a free nation where no single person rule. As well as, the people of the nation having the ultimate say so.
The United States today, both militarily and economically, is the strongest force in the world. In order to get to that point, however, the United States had to pull of the miracle upset in its infancy stages against the reigning super power of the time in what would become to be known as the American Revolution. This was not an actual revolution for there was not a political overhaul with an exception to who now collected the taxes. This instead was a rebellion against the British by people who largely considered them selves to be British. The new American government was even modeled after the British government. In fact, many Americans did not want war but instead just wanted to have the same rights as a British man. They felt like their
The loyalist group was considered as the elite class of citizens they had money, education, land & and lived a lavish lifestyle. By the estimate considered by “John Adams in his personal journals in 1815 they were about twenty percent of loyalist in the colonies. They remained in favor or support of British and King George III”. They did not believe in independence from the British. They still believed themselves to be loyal British citizens.
About one-third of the colonists were patriots who were ready to take any means necessary to fight for independence for their country. The patriots were so passionate about their cause that they would torture or even kill loyalists or indifferent people. Because of this strong passion, the colonists had much more to gain then the British had to lose. The British had other colonies and other forms of export and import to create a profit, but if the Colonists lost they would have lost their independence and freedom.
Gordon S. Wood, in The Radicalism of the American Revolution, discusses what it means to be truly revolutionary. In this work, Wood shares his thoughts on the Revolutionary War and whether or not it was a movement radical enough to be considered an honest revolution. Wood discusses the reasoning behind the views of those in favor of the war being considered radical, as well as the views of those who believe the American Revolution to be unfortunately misnamed. He claims that “the Revolution was the most radical and most far- reaching event in American history.” Wood’s work is a valuable source for those studying the revolution because it redefines what it means to be radical, but the piece is also limited by the lack of primary information
The Revolutionary War was one of America’s earliest battles and one of many. Although, many came to America to gain independence from Great Britain many still had loyalty for the King and their laws. Others believed that America needs to be separated from Great Britain and control their own fate and government. I will analyze the arguments of Thomas Paine and James Chalmers. Should America be sustained by Great Britain or find their own passage?
There were many different types of groups in Colonial America, not to mention sub groups as well as opposing groups. One of the opposing groups were those who were ready to break away from the mother country such as Thomas Paine or there were those who claimed like John Dickason that the colonies were not ready to cut off ties just yet. Although both groups had similar issues they both had different approaches on how to deal with them.
Many colonists held a stronger loyalty to their American Colonies than to England by the eve of the Revolution. The battles and trials that they endured gave them an identity and a unity, they had survived through many hardships and any group that does that had some sort of bond. The unique combining of cultures, geography, and the many political ordeals that American colonists had endured provided them with a sense of identity and unity.
The American Revolution (1775-1783) was a war between England and the colonies which were settled earlier by the English. There were many factors and events that led to the American Revolution. The Revolution was mainly an economic rebellion that was fueled by taxation without representation following the French and Indian War. The English Parliament was more often than not considered cruel and unfair by the colonists. With conflicts over trade, taxes and government representation, the colonies were at a starting line of a revolution that would later transform into the basis of the United States of America.
They were the people who actively participated and sacrificed their lives. Therefore the side they chose to fight on was heavily influenced by their “local interests, grudges, and unfulfilled yearnings [Page 87].”In summary, poor farmers, wanted political rights and land. For slaves they yearned for freedom. Women wanted to have the same rights as men. Native Americans wanted the colonists to stop encroaching on their land. Many of these desires coincided while other clashed. Therein lay the chaos that drove the American Revolution. While many of the people did not succeed the ideas they fought for became deeply embedded into
“Is there a single trait of resemblance between those few towns and a great and growing people spread over a vast quarter of the globe, separated by a mighty ocean?” This question posed by Edmund Burke was in the hearts of nearly every colonist before the colonies gained their independence from Britain. The colonists’ heritage was largely British, as was their outlook on a great array of subjects; however, the position and prejudices they held concerning their independence were comprised entirely from American ingenuity. This identity crisis of these “British Americans” played an enormous role in the colonists’ battle for independence, and paved the road to revolution.
Upon the edge of revolution, a country tottered, waiting for the final push. England had pressed upon a tired and loose colonial aggregate, and though these pressures were sometimes justified, they brought together a quite recently bickering populace with contempt for taxation and other misgivings. From the northmost colony of Maine to the buffer colony Georgia, all knew that contentions were stewing. However, though insurrection was on the mind of each colonist, this concept lie slanted in many different ways. Squarely within one extreme were the Loyalists, for never did they once wish to break with the king of England, who had admittedly protected them well enough. When looking upon the opposite end of the spectrum, there
The American Revolution marked the divorce of the British Empire and its one of the most valued colonies. Behind the independence that America had fought so hard for, there emerged a diverging society that was eager to embrace new doctrines. The ideals in the revolution that motivated the people to fight for freedom continued to influence American society well beyond the colonial period. For example, the ideas borrowed from John Locke about the natural rights of man was extended in an unsuccessful effort to include women and slaves. The creation of state governments and the search for a national government were the first steps that Americans took to experiment with their own system. Expansion, postwar depression as well as the new distribution of land were all evidence that pointed to the gradual maturing of the economic system. Although America was fast on its way to becoming a strong and powerful nation, the underlying issues brought about by the Revolution remained an important part in the social, political and economical developments that in some instances contradicted revolutionary principles in the period from 1775-1800.
One of the primary reasons people chose to become a loyalist was because they were enticed with either property, payment and/or much-needed supplies or maintained the thought that the British would aid them throughout the war as well as had a stronger overall system (government, economy, justice
The American Revolution began as a conflict over political and social change, but soon developed into a dispute over personal rights and political liberty. A decade of conflicts between the British government and the Americans, starting with the Stamp Act in 1765 that eventually led to war in 1775, along with The Declaration of Independence in 1776. Americans united as one and knew that they wanted to be an independent country, have their own laws, rights, and not be a colony of the Great Britain. They fought hard for their independence and people lost their lives in the process of it, but in the end they succeeded. Never give up, keep fighting till the mission is accomplished, just like the Americans did when they were fighting for their independence.