Essays on american revolution

Essays on american revolution

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as Tories, Royalists or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supported the revolution, and called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America.". Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that many thousands of The ideas of the intellectuals of the Enlightenment brought new views to government and society. The American Revolution also influenced the coming of the French Revolution. The Philosophes planted the seeds for the French Revolution. Their goals were to expose and destroy the inequalities of the ancient regime (old order) History >> American Revolution What were the Townshend Acts? The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government on the American colonies in They placed new taxes and took away some freedoms from the colonists including the following: New taxes on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea

History: American Revolution

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary Waroften referred to as ToriesRoyalists or King's Men at the time.

They were opposed by the Patriotsessays on american revolution, who supported the revolution, and called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America. Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that essays on american revolution thousands of them would spring to arms and fight for the crown, essays on american revolution. The British government acted in expectation of essays on american revolution, especially in the southern campaigns in — In practice, the essays on american revolution of Loyalists in military service was far lower than expected since Britain could not effectively protect them except in those areas where Britain had military control.

The British were often suspicious of them, not knowing whom they could fully trust in such a conflicted situation; they were often looked down upon. Patriots watched suspected Loyalists very closely and would not tolerate any organized Loyalist opposition. Many outspoken or militarily active Loyalists were forced to flee, especially to their stronghold of New York City. William Franklinthe royal governor of New Jersey and son of Patriot leader Benjamin Franklinbecame the leader of the Loyalists after his release from a Patriot prison in He worked to build Loyalist military units to fight in the war, essays on american revolution, but the number of volunteers was much fewer than London expected.

When their cause was defeated, about 15 percent of the Loyalists 65,—70, people fled to other parts of the British Empireto Britain itself, or to British North America now Canada. The southern Loyalists moved mostly to Florida, which had remained loyal to the Crown, and to British Caribbean possessions.

Northern Loyalists largely migrated to OntarioQuebecNew Brunswickand Nova Scotia. They called themselves United Empire Loyalists. Most were compensated with Canadian land or British cash distributed through formal claims procedures. Loyalists who stayed in the US were generally able to retain their property and become American citizens. Families were often divided during the American Revolution, and many felt themselves to be both American and British, still owing a loyalty to the mother country.

Maryland lawyer Daniel Dulaney the Younger opposed taxation without representation but would not break his oath to the King or take up arms against him.

He wrote: "There may be a time when redress may not be obtained, essays on american revolution. Till then, I essays on american revolution recommend a legal, orderly, and prudent resentment".

Yale historian Leonard Woods Larabee has identified eight characteristics of the Loyalists that made them essentially conservative and loyal to the King and to Britain: [7]. In the opening months of the Revolutionary War, the Patriots laid siege to Bostonessays on american revolution, where most of the British forces were stationed.

Elsewhere there were few British troops and the Patriots seized control of all levels of government, as well as supplies of arms and gunpowder. Vocal Loyalists recruited people to their side, often with the encouragement essays on american revolution assistance of royal governors. In the South Carolina back country, Loyalist recruitment outstripped that of Patriots. A brief siege at Ninety Six, South Carolina in the fall of was followed by a rapid rise in Patriot recruiting, and a Snow Campaign involving thousands of partisan militia resulted in the arrest essays on american revolution flight of most of the back country Loyalist leadership.

North Carolina back country Scots and former Regulators joined forces in earlybut they were broken as a force at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. By July 4, essays on american revolution,the Patriots had gained control of virtually all territory in the Thirteen Colonies and expelled all royal officials, essays on american revolution.

No one who openly essays on american revolution their loyalty to the Crown was allowed to remain, so Loyalists fled or kept quiet. Some of those who remained later gave aid to invading British armies or joined uniformed Loyalist regiments. The British were forced out of Boston by March 17, They regrouped at Halifax and attacked New York in August, defeating George Washington 's army at Long Island and capturing New York City and its vicinity, and they occupied the mouth of the Hudson River until British forces seized control of other cities, including PhiladelphiaSavannah, Georgia —83and Charleston, South Carolina — The British removed their governors from colonies where the Patriots were in control, but Loyalist civilian government was re-established in coastal Georgia [20] from todespite presence of Patriot forces in the northern part of Georgia.

Essentially, the British were only able to maintain power in areas where they had a strong military presence. Historian Robert Calhoon wrote inconcerning the proportion of Loyalists to Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies:.

Historians' best estimates put the proportion of adult white male loyalists somewhere between 15 and 20 percent. Approximately half the colonists of European ancestry tried to avoid involvement in the struggle—some of them deliberate pacifists, others recent immigrants, and many more simple apolitical folk. The patriots received active support from perhaps 40 to 45 percent of the white populace, and at most no more than a bare majority.

Before Calhoon's work, essays on american revolution, estimates of the Loyalist share of the population were somewhat higher, at about one-third, but these estimates are now rejected as too high by most scholars. Historian Robert Middlekauff summarized scholarly research on the nature of Loyalist support as follows:.

The largest number of loyalists were found in the middle colonies : many tenant farmers of New York supported the kingfor example, as did many of the Dutch in the colony and in New Jersey. The Germans in Pennsylvania tried to stay out of the Revolution, just as many Quakers did, and when that failed, clung to the familiar connection rather than embrace the new. Highland Scots in the Carolinasa fair number of Anglican clergy and their parishioners in Connecticut and New Yorka few Presbyterians in the southern coloniesand a large number of the Iroquois stayed loyal to the king.

New York City and Long Island were the British military and political base of operations in North America from to and had a large concentration of Loyalists, many of whom were refugees from other states.

According to Calhoon, [26] Loyalists tended to be older and wealthier, but there were also many Loyalists of humble means. Many active Church of England members became Loyalists. Some recent arrivals from Britain, especially those from Scotland, had a high Loyalist proportion. Loyalists in the southern colonies were suppressed by the local Patriots, who controlled local and state government.

Many people—including former Regulators in North Carolina — refused to join the rebellion, as they had earlier protested against corruption by local authorities who later became Revolutionary leaders. The oppression by the local Whigs during the Regulation led to many of the residents of backcountry North Carolina sitting out the Revolution or siding with the Loyalists.

In areas under Patriot control, Loyalists were subject to confiscation of propertyand outspoken supporters of the king were threatened with public humiliation such as tarring and featheringor physical attack. It is not known how many Loyalist civilians were harassed by the Patriots, but the treatment was a warning to other Loyalists not to take up arms.

In SeptemberWilliam Drayton and Loyalist leader Colonel Thomas Fletchall signed a treaty of neutrality in the interior community of Ninety SixSouth Carolina. As a result of the looming crisis inthe Royal Governor of VirginiaLord Dunmoreissued a proclamation that promised freedom to indentured servants and slaves who were able to bear arms and join his Loyalist Ethiopian Regiment.

Many of the slaves in the South joined the Loyalists with intentions of gaining freedom and escaping the South. About did so; some helped rout the Virginia militia at the Battle of Kemp's Landing essays on american revolution fought in the Battle of Great Bridge on the Elizabeth Riverwearing the motto "Liberty to Slaves", but this time they were defeated. The remains of their regiment were then involved in the evacuation of Norfolkafter which they served in the Chesapeake area.

Eventually the camp that they had set up there suffered an outbreak of smallpox and other diseases. This took a heavy toll, putting many of them out of action for some time, essays on american revolution. The survivors joined other Loyalist units and continued to serve throughout the war. African-Americans were often the first to come forward to volunteer and a total of 12, African Americans served with the British from to This forced the Patriots to also offer freedom to those who would serve in the Continental Army, with essays on american revolution of Black Patriots serving in the Continental Army.

Americans who gained their freedom by fighting for the British became known as Black Loyalists. The British honored the pledge of freedom in Essays on american revolution York City through the efforts of General Guy Carletonwho recorded the names of African Americans who had supported the British in a document called the Book of Negroeswhich granted freedom to slaves who had escaped and assisted the British.

About 4, Black Loyalists went to the British colonies of Nova Scotia and New Brunswickwhere they were promised land grants, essays on american revolution.

They founded communities across the two provinces, many of which still exist today. Over 2, settled in Birchtown, Nova Scotiainstantly making it essays on american revolution largest free black community in North America. However, the long period of waiting time to be officially given land grants that were given to them and the prejudices of white Loyalists in nearby Shelburne who regularly harassed the settlement in events such as the Shelburne Riots inmade life very difficult for the community.

About 1, left Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone, where they named the capital Freetown. While men were out fighting for the Crown, women served at home protecting their land and property. Grace Growden Galloway [32] recorded the experience in her diary. Galloway's property was seized by the Rebels and she spent the rest of her life fighting to regain it. Rebel agents were active in Quebec which was then frequently called "Canada", the name of the earlier French province in the months leading to the outbreak of active hostilities.

John Brownan agent of the Boston Committee of Correspondence[33] worked with Canadian merchant Thomas Walker and other rebel sympathisers during the winter of — to convince inhabitants to support the actions of the First Continental Congress. However, essays on american revolution, many of Quebec's inhabitants remained neutral, resisting service to either the British or the Americans.

Although some Canadians took up arms in support of the rebellion, the majority remained loyal to the King. French Canadians had been satisfied by the British government's Quebec Act ofwhich offered religious and linguistic toleration; in general, they did not sympathize with a rebellion that they saw as being led by Protestants from New Englandwho were their commercial rivals and hereditary enemies.

Most of the English-speaking settlers had arrived following the British conquest of Canada in —, and were unlikely to support separation from Britain, essays on american revolution. The older British colonies, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia including what is now New Brunswick also remained loyal and contributed military forces in support of the Crown. In late the Continental Army sent a force into Quebecled by General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnoldwith the goal of convincing the residents of Quebec to join the Revolution.

Although only a minority of Canadians openly expressed loyalty to King George, about 1, militia fought for the King in the Siege of Fort St. In the region south of Montreal that was occupied by the Continentals, some inhabitants supported the rebellion and raised two regiments to join the Patriot forces. In Nova Scotiathere were many Yankee settlers originally from New England, essays on american revolution, and they generally supported the principles of the revolution.

The allegiance toward the rebellion waned as American privateers raided Nova Scotia communities throughout the war. As well, the Nova Scotia government used the law to convict people for sedition and treason for supporting the rebel cause. There was also the influence of an influx of recent immigration from the British isles, and they remained neutral during the war, and the influx essays on american revolution greatest in Halifax. The Continental forces would be driven from Quebec inafter the breakup of ice on the St.

Lawrence River and the arrival of British transports in May and June. There would be no essays on american revolution serious attempt to challenge British control of present-day Canada until the War of Inessays on american revolution, Loyalist militia took part in the Saratoga campaign in New York, and surrendered with General Burgoyne after the Battles of Saratoga in October.

For the rest of the war, Quebec acted as a base for raiding expeditions, conducted primarily by Loyalists and Indians, against frontier communities. The Loyalists rarely attempted any political organization. They were often passive unless regular British army units were in the area. The British, however, assumed a highly activist Loyalist community was ready to mobilize and planned much of their strategy around raising Loyalist regiments. The British provincial line, consisting of Americans enlisted on a regular army status, enrolled 19, Loyalists 50 units and companies.

The maximum strength of the Loyalist provincial line was 9, in December The British forces at the Battle of Monck's Corner and the Battle of Lenud's Ferry consisted entirely of Loyalists with the exception of the commanding officer Banastre Tarleton. Historian Maya Jasanoff estimated how many Loyalists departed the United States for British North America.

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American Revolution: Causes and Timeline | blogger.com - HISTORY

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as Tories, Royalists or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supported the revolution, and called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America.". Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that many thousands of The American Revolution was a time when the British colonists in America rebelled against the rule of Great Britain. There were many battles fought and the colonies gained their freedom and became the independent country of the United States. The American Revolutionary War lasted from until History >> American Revolution What were the Townshend Acts? The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government on the American colonies in They placed new taxes and took away some freedoms from the colonists including the following: New taxes on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea