American Revolution: Similarities Between The Loyalists And The Patriots

AMERICAN REVOLUTION On the onset of the American Revolution, colonials who were zealous of the British crown and colonists who defied and openly rebelled against Great Britain shared similarities in upbringings but differed in beliefs of what a true American represented. On the brink of war with Britain, colonists began to diverge and separate themselves according to which side they believed they were most devoted to. Colonials had to define themselves as either Loyalists to a distant king or Patriots to the land they lived in and loved. Aside from their differences, the Loyalists and the Patriots shared many similarities with one another. Both the Loyalists and the Patriots were culturally identical due to the fact that the majority of the colonists shared the same language, heritage, customs and religion. Both factions were descendants from similar socio-economic groups that came from Europe with aspirations to wield freedoms that were not previously allotted to them. During the war, African Americans who were slaves joined both groups because of the promise of freedom in exchange of military service. In addition, both the Loyalists and the Patriots were grateful for the land that they owned and enjoyed the same colonial rights. Furthermore, both groups believed that the decisions made by King George III and
Parliament were unjust. Although both divisions disagreed with King George III’s enactments, the Loyalists believed that outright revolt against Britain was unreasonable and foolish.
The conservative Loyalists had strong intentions of remaining patriotic to Great Britain, but not to the land in which they lived in. The Loyalists faction typically consisted of traditional colonists, government officials and Anglican clergymen who were taught fidelity to the crown. The majority of Loyalists during the war tended to be wealthier than the American Patriots; thus, they considered themselves to be more civilized than the average colonists and doubted amateur American
sovereignty. In contrast from the Loyalists, the Patriots believed that rebellion against Great Britain was mandatory and quite necessary. The Patriots believed that King George was being irrationally blasphemous, to the point where they decided the correct course of action was to secede and form their own country. Patriots wanted complete separation from the Church of England, and wanted to be free of all of the burdens put on by the king such as taxes and restrictions on trade routes. The patriots consisted of a lot more young people than the loyalists had and the youth were energized by political fervor and rebellious zeal. Americans who were initially indifferent to independence became patriots after witnessing gruesome and ruthless British military tactics towards innocent bystanders. On the onset of the American Revolution, colonials who were zealous of the British crown and colonists who defied and openly rebelled against Great Britain shared similarities in upbringings but differed in beliefs of what a true American represented.