Patriots, Loyalists and America’s First Civil War — Americana Corner

With the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the actual fighting of the American Revolution was underway. As it turned out, this open warfare was not reserved just for the new Continental Army formed around Boston and the British Army trapped in the city. It soon spilled over into a fight between neighbors.

Naturally, the decision to separate from England, the country of our ancestors, led to an intense, emotional debate. Those that believed we should remain loyal to our Mother Country felt as strongly about that position as those that felt we must go our own way. Both sides were passionate and both sides had a fair argument. Unfortunately, there was no real middle ground.

As the conflict spread, people were forced to choose a side by patriot and loyalist extremists. Declaring yourself undecided and neutral, was not allowed. In 1776, there were about 2,000,000 whites and 400,000 African slaves living in colonial America. Unfortunately, there is no definitive proof regarding how the population split on the matter of independence.

In recent years, there have been several detailed studies to better understand colonial attitudes towards independence. In general, these studies found that staunch loyalists constituted about 20% of the population or 400,000 people, while committed Patriots accounted for about 40% of the population or 800,000 people. The balance, about 40% or 800,000 people, held moderate views, and mostly just wanted to be left alone to live in peace.

It must also be emphasized that the percentage of Americans supporting the war for independence was not static, but rather changed somewhat with the changing fortunes of the war. As General George Washington was retreating across New Jersey in the fall of 1776, Loyalists seemed to flock to the British banner. When Washington and his Continentals crossed the Delaware and defeated the Redcoats a few months later, these same Loyalists were not to be seen.

This rise and fall of support for the English cause was the same in most of the United States. After about mid-1776, Patriots controlled most of the territory of the thirteen states. Given the growing enthusiasm for the Patriot side and the violence inflicted by both sides on their adversaries, most Loyalists were only vocal in their opinions if the English army was close by.