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Loyalists vs. Patriots in Colonial America

The document discusses the divide between patriots and loyalists in late colonial America. Patriots felt oppressed by British rule and taxation without representation, events like the Stamp Act and Boston Tea Party angered them. Loyalists had strong business ties to Britain and feared independence would financially ruin them. While patriots wanted freedom and self-governance, loyalists prioritized maintaining economic connections to Britain.

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Christopher Fulbright
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216 views3 pages

Loyalists vs. Patriots in Colonial America

The document discusses the divide between patriots and loyalists in late colonial America. Patriots felt oppressed by British rule and taxation without representation, events like the Stamp Act and Boston Tea Party angered them. Loyalists had strong business ties to Britain and feared independence would financially ruin them. While patriots wanted freedom and self-governance, loyalists prioritized maintaining economic connections to Britain.

Uploaded by

Christopher Fulbright
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chris Fulbright

DBQ Essay #2
Advanced History
Mr. Forbes
#14
10-5-2018
In late Colonial America the people began to separate into two groups. The
individuals who remained loyal to Great Britain were loyalist. The patriots were those
who felt repressed by Great Britain and wanted to become independent. A look into
some historical events of this era shows why the patriots and the loyalists felt so
differently about Great Britain.
The Stamp Act of 1765 was the first tax that was put upon America by the British.
This soon made people realise that they had no say in what goes on in the colonies.
They summed this by saying “taxation without representation” and these people were
patriots. Loyalist had strong business ties to Great Britain and did not see the impact as
negative. These loyalist felt that going against Great Britain would affect their business
and leave them penniless.
The Boston Tea Party was a protest where the patriots dressed up as Native
Americans and dumped 90 tons of tea into the Boston Harbor. The patriots did this
because they were angry at the British for not giving them representation in Parliament
and still taxing them. Still people stayed loyal to the British because their businesses
depended on the British.
Not only did the patriots not like the lack of representation in Great Britain
Parliament, but they felt the oppression against unalienable freedoms. This is stated in
the Declaration of Indepence that everyone has the right to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit
of Happiness”. (Declaration of Independence, 1776) To the patriots Great Britain was a
threat between life of freedom or life of slavery.
Loyalist were mostly older business owners with strong ties to Great Britain.
They had a good reason to stay loyal to help support their business relations. These
individuals also had a strong sense of loyalty due to strong beliefs that they were
betraying their own country.
After a look into some historical events shows why the patriots and the loyalists
felt so differently about Great Britain. In conclusion the groups had their reasoning for
being on either side. Like the loyalists mostly stayed because their business was closely
tied to the British and didn't want to end up penniless. Patriots wanted the freedoms,
they didn't want to be taxed when they had no say in what happens to them.
Works Cited

“Boston Tea Party.” Edited by History.com Editors, ​History.com​, A&E Television Networks, 27
Oct. 2009, ​www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party#section_8​.

“Stamp Act.” Edited by History.com Editors, ​History.com​, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov.
2009, ​www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/stamp-act​.

"What are some reasons people joined the Patriots in the Revolutionary War?" ​eNotes​,
6 May 2012,
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-5-reasons-people-joined-patriots-336219.
Accessed 5 Oct. 2018.

"What is a reason to be a loyalist?" ​eNotes,​ 14 Dec. 2017,


https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-reason-loyalist-1122172. Accessed 5 Oct.
2018.

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