More proof that the American Revolution/War of Independence was in truth a devastating Civil War. We tend to forget now how split the colonies were.
Many towns and families were ripped apart on the subject. Not just Gen. & Mrs. Gage, but Benjamin Franklin and his son. Franklin's son was ,IIRC, a Major in the British Army (60th Regt. of Foot, the Royal Americans, I think.)
The results of the war were a water shed moment in human history and stuck a strong blow in the evolution of human liberty and constitutional government. But like the English Civil War before it and the American Civil War/War Between the States, that came after, the human toll in both blood and broken families, was devastating.
The old formula was a third, a third and a third: Loyalist, Patriot and Leave Me Alone. One particular area during the RevWar that exemplifies this was Westchester County in NY--for most of the war it was a no man's land fraught with danger for those traversing it unarmed. The so-called "Cowboys" were Loyalists who brought meat to the Brits who were running things from NYC.
Some areas of the colonies had more representation among the neutrals, for instance, the Quakers in PA and the Dutch farmers in Brooklyn, NY.
Most of the Loyalists later moved to British North America (today's Canada) and gave birth to the first English Canadians. They have shaped the politics and culture of Canada along with French Canadian federalists ever since the nation's federation in 1867. It can be said that the seeds of Canada's anti-Americanism were sowed in 1776.
Even in the Canada of Paul Martin, which their descendents may not be significant in number, their legacy remain extensive. For instance, they can still use the title "United Empire Loyalists" formally in everyday communications.