- Loyalists
- Definition
- Colonists who were subjects loyal to the British crown
- Were known to the Patriots as "Tories"
- Where and how many?
- Loyalism most concentrated in the Lower South, least concentrated in New England
- 1/5 of the population, half a million
- Who were the Loyalists and why were they Loyalists?
- Mostly British colonial officials and Anglican clergymen and lawyers who worked with British colonial officials
- Ex. royal governors
- Ex. Hutchinson of Massachusetts
- Merchants who wanted to keep their strong economic ties with Great Britain
- Ethnic minorities who were discriminated against by the ethnic majority, aka the Americans
- Ex. Highland Scots from the Carolinas and western New York
- Ex. Southern tenant farmers who worked for Patriot landlords
- Slaves whose owners were Patriots
- Native Americans who feared independent American states meant aggressive expansionism
- After all, they knew the British passed the Proclamation of 1763 to help the Native Americans, but it was the colonists who violated this act
- Conservatives who were afraid of political or social chaos or just disliked rebellion and chaos in general
- People who just didn't like the Patriots
- Namely Benedict Arnold, an American traitor who went over to the British side because he felt he was being demoted (his higher-ups were taking credit for his military successes)
- How did the Loyalists impact the Revolution?
- Fought for the British
- 8,000-50,000 Loyalists joined the British ranks
- Fought in militias
- Fought Patriots in vicious battles on the home front, especially in the Lower South
- Ex. burned down Patriots homes and murdered Patriot civilians, as did the Patriots to them
- Royal British army used Loyalists in their Southern strategy in 1778
- Took Patriot land and handed it over to the Loyalists to reassert British control while they went off to conquer more territory
- How did the Revolution impact the Loyalists' lives?
- Basically screwed them over
- The Patriots hated them and attempted to destroy their lives as much as possible
- Passed acts prohibiting speaking or writing against the Revolution
- Bills of attainder, which took away Loyalists' freedoms and property without a fair trial
- Mob violence and sometimes painful public humiliation
- Loyalists were subject to "grand Tory rides," tar-and-feathering, and humiliation at the hands of Patriot newspapers
- They weren't exempt from British violence as well, as British troops raided Loyalist households and farms for food and supplies
- Fled to England, West Indies, or Canada for their safety during and after the war
- Loyalist property was taken by the Patriots and sold, but Britain later paid the Loyalists back for what they had lost
- However, many Loyalists were sad and missed America--it was their home
S.H. & C.S.
10 comments:
I believe it was awful the way the Americans treated the loyalists after the war. I mean, they were only expressing their own opinions by joining the loyalist side. Just because they had a different opinion then the Patriots didn't mean hatred was necessary.
I think that these peoples lives must have been pretty terrible. The fact that not only your military opponent(patriots), but also the side you fought for(British) were violent towards you must have been really bad. These people could have co-existed on their home lands regardless of their opinions of war, but they were instead tormented.
Although the Loyalists were simply expressing their views, it's hard to think of them being treated any other way. Co-existence with loyalists simply was not an option. War made such compromises impossible. Call me a radical, but I could see myself in 1775, plotting the demise of a loyalist group who dared deny the absolute freedom many colonists wanted.
i don't think that the americans acted justly toward the loyalists after the war was over. Although it is understandable, thinking about how the patriots would be treated by the loyalists if the outcome of the war would have ended in British favor. (prosecuted for treason, possibly killed)
Desperate times call for desperate measures. MD brought up an interesting point I hadn't considered. Yeah, the Patriots would have been called if they lost. It was all or nothing. So of course they went all out against Britain. I'm not saying taking all the Loyalists' property and publically humiliating them was fair, but in wars, countries need to band together. There can be no dissent. If you noticed examples again and again throughout history, freedom of speech and all that other individual rights junk goes right out the window during a serious war or crisis.
I think that the Loyalists tried to play the odds and lost. They figured that Great Britain was a clear winner, and made the safe bet. Besides, if your just trying to live your life as a good citizen, what do you do? Do you listen to the government and have the patriots chase you out of the country, or Have the British Hang you for treason? Neutrality wasn't an option; But the loyalists, were of course going to be treated poorly. They supported something 2/3 of the population was fighting against. OF course their would be a back lash.
When you are fighting with so called the "enemy" in your country you're going to get some reactions. Grand Tory rides, tar-and-feathering, and humiliation, was what the loyalists would get for being on this side. But can you blame the patriots? They wanted independence from Britain and the people who opposed this were not going to get fair treatment. Just as MD stated the war could have come out different and the treatment could have been towards the Patriots rather than the Loyalists.
I dont think the loyalists or the patriots should be punished or tarred and featehred just ecause they think a certain way. They should be able to have their own opinions and be able to support Britain or not support Britain depending on how they personally feel.
If the loyalists knew that they were going to be persecuted for staying Loyal to Britain, they should have been out of America long before any were tarred and feathered. Although it was awful the way Patriots treated the Loyalists, they should have left the country immediately.
I don't think the Loyalists should have been puinshed as harshly as they were. When it comes down to it, they were simply American citizens who picked the wrong side. Besides, part of the Treaty of Paris included that the Loyalists be treated fairly, and I think the U.S. should have ratified the treaty and held true to it.
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