March 7 notes The United States breaks away

Who were the patriots?

• “Patriots,” were members of the who rebelled against control

during the American Revolution. These Patriots rejected the lack of of colonists in
the British Parliament and the imposition of British .

• Prominent early include Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams,

Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. These men were the architects of the early Republic
and the of the United States and are counted among the .

• Prior to 1775, many of these Patriots were active in the , an organization formed
to protect the of the colonists from the British government. They are best known
for initiating the in 1773.

• Patriot rebellion was based on the political philosophy of .

What is republicanism

 A government led by a but gives supreme power to the or elected

representatives of the people.
 American republicans believe that the are the source of all political ,
only the people can give the government and .
 American republicans also believe in government interference,
government, individual and patriotic, virtuous .

Who were the loyalists?

• Loyalists were American colonists who supported the during the American
Revolutionary War.

• The Loyalists, like the rebels, criticized such British actions as the and the
Acts. Loyalists wanted to pursue forms of protest because they
believed that violence would give rise to mob rule or . They also believed that
independence would mean the loss of derived from membership in
the British mercantile system.

• Loyalists came from all walks of life. The majority were .

Not surprisingly, most British officials remained to the Crown.

• Sympathy for the Crown was a dangerous sentiment; those who defied the revolutionary forces
could find themselves without . Loyalist property
was vandalized and often .
What role did women play?

• Women performed crucial tasks in the American Revolution, organizing ,

supplying the troops, working in the , and tending to the .

• One of the most common ways that women supported the war effort was by
making , home-made cloth that took on revolutionary after
the colonies-imposed on British goods, including textiles.

• One woman, Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts, herself as a so that

she could join the .

What role did African Americans play?

• Initially, African Americans the British because of the they

were subjected to with the slave trade.

• Revolutionary leaders did not want to have African Americans in the ,

because they were that slaves who were armed would them.
Slave owners also became concerned that military service would eventually their
people

• In Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, offered to any slave

who would escape from his rebel master and fight on the side of those to the
. The British extended their offer of to include
and provisions to the former slaves once the rebellion was defeated. It
is estimated that as many as 100,000 slaves had taken behind Lines.

• In 1775, issued orders to the recruiters to the

free African Americans who had already served in the army.

What role did First Nations play?

• During the American Revolution, the newly proclaimed United States competed with the British
for the of American first nations east of the River.

• Most American first nations who joined the struggle sided with the , based
both on their relationships and hopes that colonial defeat would result in a halt to
further colonial .

• Other native communities were over which side to in the war and
others wanted to remain .

• The only Iroquois tribes to ally with the colonials were the .