Ch.+5+The+American+Revolution-+Patriots+and+Loyalists

__PATRIOTS__

Many soldiers who fought for the Patriots were from the New England states because many were afraid to travel outside of their regions. Most of the Patriots were educated and wealthy. The people who fought were very diverse, because along with there being many well-educated rich men, there were also many average people such as farmers, shopkeepers, and lawyers. These average people had a significant impact on the outcome of the war because they always supported the soldiers. Around 40 to 45 percent of the American public supported the Patriots.

The patriots believed that the British Government was not treating them fairly and wanted "no taxation without representation." They felt that they were capable of living by themselves without having to follow a king, and wanted their independence. In reality, the Americans had been running themselves during the period of salutary neglect by the British and already had a feeling of what they were capable of doing without any higher authority figure and outside power.

Although the patriots were unskilled in comparison to the British armies and Loyalists, many were set on accomplishing their goal of becoming and independent nation. The Patriots had very good leaders who knew how to draw support from the crowds and always did what they thought was best. George Washington was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the [|Continental Army], and many looked to him for guidance and strength. Washington was very honorable and reliable and he had many friends who helped make the victory a success. Some of the more well known Patriots include:

George Washington- Commander in chief of the Continental Army.

Thomas Jefferson- Wrote //[|A Summary View of the Rights of British America]// to emphasize the natural rights of all Americans.

John Adams- Worked with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin- Helped write the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

[|Patrick Henry]- Famous for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech saying that Americans should take up arms against the British. He became the colonel of the 1st Virginia Regiment during the Revolutionary War.

Paul Revere- Played a crucial part in the beginning of the Revolution by warning us that "The British are coming," (though in reality it was 'The Regulars are coming out') and giving Americans a chance to prepare themselves.

Thomas Paine- Wrote many essays in order to encourage the belief that American Independence would soon be recognized by the British.

Samuel Adams- Believed that it was impossible to be friendly with Britain after all that the Americans had suffered through.

__LOYALISTS__

Loyalist colonists were those who were still loyal to the crown. they believed that the British were doing a great job running everything in the colonies and feared what would happen if they had to depend on themselves. They were known as Tories and King's men. Most loyalists were older men who had ties with the Church of England, and therefore remainde loyal to the crown. Not all of them were old, though. Many merchants were loyalists because of the strong ties they had with business partners from England. Still though, the majority were of the wealthy class.

The Loyalists knew how to get support from other people. They promised Africa American slaves their freedom if they would fight in the Revolution against the Patriots. They were also given the promise of land grants and protection for their families if they fought. Another group that surprisingly favored the Loyalist cause were the Native Americans. The main reason that the Native Americans supported the British was because the British had promised that they would stop settling in their territories.

At the end of the war, most Loyalists chose to travel to Canada or Britain because they did mot want to face the Patriots after their loss, and they did not want to risk persecution by them either. This caused a change in society and the way people began to view each other after the war was over.

~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution ~[] ~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalist_(American_Revolution) ~[|http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=Ly9Jrz8Ks8JStb1GSyC43YwDbYQgvTfSTfPmrn7fL71dlfswdMZs!783601474!1893792638?docId=5002427871]

~http://theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx ~http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/Jefferson/Summaryview.html