Motives for Loyalism Loyalist (American Revolution)

yale historian leonard woods larabee has identified 8 characteristics of loyalists made them conservative , loyal king , britain:

they older, better established, , resisted radical change
they felt rebellion against crown—the legitimate government—was morally wrong.
they alienated when patriots resorted violence, such burning houses , tarring , feathering.
they wanted take middle-of-the road position , angry when forced patriots declare opposition.
they had long-standing sentimental attachment britain (often business , family links).
they procrastinators realized independence bound come someday, wanted postpone moment.
they cautious , afraid chaos , mob rule result.
some pessimists lacked confidence in future displayed patriots. others recalled dreadful experiences of many jacobite rebels after failure of last jacobite rebellion 1745 lost lands when hanoverian government won.

other motives of loyalists included:

they felt need order , believed parliament legitimate authority.
in new york, powerful families had assembled colony-wide coalitions of supporters, men long associated delancey faction went along when leadership decided support crown.
they felt weak or threatened within american society , in need of outside defender such british crown , parliament.
they had been promised freedom slavery british.
they felt being part of british empire crucial in terms of commerce , business operations.




^ leonard woods larabee, conservatism in american history (1948) pp 164–65
^ see n. e. h. hull, peter c. hoffer , steven l. allen, choosing sides: quantitative study of personality determinants of loyalist , revolutionary political affiliation in new york, journal of american history, (1978) 65#2 pp. 344–366 in jstor
^ edwin g. burrows , michael wallace, american revolution: ideology , psychology of national liberation, perspectives in american history, (1972) vol. 6 pp 167–306
^ mark jodoin. shadow soldiers of american revolution: loyalist tales new york canada. 2009. isbn 978-1-59629-726-5. history press, charleston, sc.
^ hull, hoffer , allen, choosing sides (1978), p, 352
^ hull, hoffer , allen, choosing sides (1978), pp 347, 354, 365
^ wilson, bruce g. loyalists . 
^ loyalists during american revolutionary war: happened them? . bright hub education. 
^ archived copy . archived original on 2013-05-15. retrieved 2013-03-11. 
^ lord dunmore s ethiopian regiment - black past: remembered , reclaimed . www.blackpast.org. 
^ lindann8 (16 october 2012). patriots loyalists powerpoint 2 . 
^ loyalists . george washington s mount vernon. 
^ loyalists .