In the eighteenth century, during the American Revolution War, there were two opposing groups in discord with each other, the Loyalists and the Patriots (Frank 58). The Revolutionary War had many warriors and many leaders, but as in the case with any war, there was also much bloodshed. The war started with the British, whose rule was in South Carolina, and there was division on the colonists who supported the British rule. Consequently, political views changed and twisted, resulting into the appearance of Patriots and Loyalists. The Loyalists also referred to as Tories or King’s men were opposed to the Patriots, who supported the revolution, while the Patriots on the other hand rebelled against the British control (Frank 58). The Loyalists chose to support the authority of the king rather than the power of the parliament.
The colonists had protested specific acts by British for years, including taxation, limiting their settlement of the western lands, and control of colonial assemblies. However, until 1776, the colonists protested as British citizens by directing their sentiments at the King or at Parliament (Frank 45). The colonists still held the notion that they were simply defending their sovereign rights as citizens of Britain, which they assigned deepest sense of identity. The loyalists held the view that the colonists should help Great Britain fund the Indian and French was dept. They also refuted “No Taxation without Representation” as a false argument (Morton 91). Remaining part of the British Empire gave the colonists access to goods from all over the world. Rebelling against Great Britain could compromise economic security of the colonists (Frank 58). Failure by the British Empire to win the win the war would make it difficult for the colonists to develop international trade relations leading to economic insecurity.
The ensuing divide into Patriot and Loyalist side meant that the American Revolution was a civil war. This meant that it was a war between groups of colonists, whom were close neighbors and former friends. Further, the American Revolution was a war of ideas, because loyalty to Great Britain did not imply unthinking loyalty (Morton 214). Loyalty was an age-old tradition often based on beliefs about the King, Parliament, and the rights of all British subjects. The growing power of the British government alone could not have justified reason for the war. The Loyalists believed that an imperfect situation is better than the unknown. Losing the war would lead to loss of lives of the most intelligent, respected leaders in the colonies leading to significant human cost.
In contrast, those who rebelled against the Great Britain had noble reasons to act so, the ideas of equality and liberty described in the Declaration of Independence. In addition, some Loyalists could have acted for selfish or personal reasons (Morton 217). The Loyalists failed to explain why they would betray Americans by not fighting for freedom and independence like the one they deserved. The Patriots wanted freedom and independence from the Great Britain, something that could have improved their life (Frank 58). They claimed that they could not follow the British who would not even give them their freedom or independence. Additionally, they wanted the British government to eliminate the taxes.
In conclusion, the Loyalists retained their allegiance to the King and Parliament. They believed the King had the right to rule the colonies and that breaking the ties would lead to economic security and loss of human capital. The British Empire depended on the tax remittance from its colonies to fund its dept war. The Patriots on the other hand were not loyal to the King because they wanted England to eliminate the taxes. They also wanted to remain Free Americans not “British Americans.”
Work Cited:
Frank, Andrew. American Revolution: People and Perspectives. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print.
Morton, C. Joseph. The American Revolution. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. Print.
