Posted on 07/04/2006 4:57:26 AM PDT by radar101
In June 1776, just a month before the Declaration of Independence was ratified, the white men of Barnstable, Mass., voted on whether America should break its bonds with Great Britain. The tally: 30 for independence, 35 against and 65 abstentions.
These days, the Colonists who opposed the revolution have been all but forgotten. Yet, in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, as many as a fifth of those living in America wanted to remain British subjects. Probably at least that many again were apathetic or opportunistically waiting to see which side won. The American Revolution, many historians argue, was also a civil war.
The loyalists or Tories, as the opponents of independence were known, came from all social and economic classes. An act of banishment, passed against some 300 Massachusetts loyalists in 1778, listed them by trade or profession: About a third were merchants or professional men, a third were farmers, and the rest were artisans, laborers or small shopkeepers. Many Southern slaves and American Indians also believed they would fare better under continued British rule.
Clearly, some loyalists were motivated by self-interest or greed; Britain was paying their salaries or buying their goods. Others believed only oligarchies of well-bred intellectuals were competent to govern a country. They looked down on revolutionary leaders as “men whom nobody knows.” And some were convinced that Great Britain, then the world's most powerful nation, would make short work of America's shabby rebels.
Still others, lovers of order and tradition, felt emotionally attached to Britain's flag and what it stood for – a constitutional monarchy with proven mechanisms for resolving disputes and maintaining social stability. “They pointed to the amazing growth and prosperity of the Colonies and to the great freedom they enjoyed – how much more could a reasonable man want?” wrote Wallace Brown in his 1965 book, “The King's Friends.”
The loyalists also feared the “madness of the multitude,” the violence and anarchy of rebellion and the possible despotism of an American Caesar.
“Almost all of the loyalists were, in one way or another, more afraid of America than they were of Britain,” said William H. Nelson in the 1961 “The American Tory.”
Poorly organized and without unifying leaders, the loyalists never stood a chance against the zealous Patriots. In 1774, the first Continental Congress authorized local governments to form “committees of inspection,” which would test their citizens' allegiance to independence. People who refused to take the Patriots' oath often lost their homes and were prohibited from working. The General Court of Massachusetts advised Harvard College's overseers to question their faculty and “dismiss any instructors who appeared to be unfriendly to American liberty.” At least 75,000 loyalists fled to Canada, England or the West Indies during or just after the war.
Violence against loyalists wasn't uncommon. Some were tarred and feathered. Hundreds were jailed. One Delaware loyalist, convicted of aiding and abetting the enemy, was sentenced to be hanged “but not 'til you be dead for you must be cut down alive ... and then your head must be severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters and these must be at the disposal of the Supreme Authority of the state.”
Until the 19th century, most historians of the American Revolution echoed Thomas Paine's opinion that “servile, slavish, self-interested fear (was) the foundation of Toryism.” History is, after all, written by the victors. But the Civil War helped change Americans' notions of loyalty and rebellion, and some historians began crediting loyalists with the courage to maintain a deeply unpopular minority view.
Maybe they were even men and women of principle, such as Daniel Leonard, a Massachusetts loyalist, who wrote, “When government is destroyed, whether by men who love liberty or by men who do not, there are then no laws to protect the weak against the powerful or the good against the wicked.”
New Brunswick wouldn't exist if not for these guys. Maybe Canada has room for another province we might call "Liberal Media".
Virginia, at that time, had MOST of the population too.
Mexico in a nutshell.
My comment about the 1/5 figure was pointing out the idiocy of the statements being made, implying that simply because every single person on this continent didn't support the revolution we might consider giving it back to Britain. I used the figures the article used to do this. I didn't make them up or imply that they were correct. You might try actually understanding people's comments before you reply to them.
The ideology of those in favor, basically, of slavery of the masses still remains.
OK, please excuse a non USA freeper's ignorance. But this cartoon made me think. So is the"macaroni" in Yankke doodle a reference to something historic and not just a convenient rhyme? Feather in his hat? tar and feathering. what's with the "macarony" spelling?
Today I don't particularly care about the so-called "Loyalists" so I've spent my time reading about the Maryland 400, and their only modern counterparts, the 100th/442nd, and Flight 93.
I say let history repeat itself...
of course that is meant in a sarcastic, poorly humorous way and in no way reflects my opinion of what could happen to treasonous quislings if this country descended into prolonged guerrilla warfare within its borders.
I think 'macaroni' was a new and popular food at the time, and so anything 'flash' or new or fashionable was called 'macaroni'.
Counter the madness;
The British prison ships in New York, where more Americans died than in all the battles of the Revolution.
Never forget. The final resting place of the bleached remains of thousands of patriots probably lies within regular sight of the writer and many readers of this article.
http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs425a,0,6698945.story
A macaroni was an eighteenth-century English fop who assumed well-bred European mannerism. Macaroni was a flamboyant form of dress in Italy at the time that involved sticking a large feather from a hat. A macaroni believed that he was stylish despite his outlandish attire. By sticking a feather in his cap, a yankee believed he was fashionable instead of appearing comical.
In this History show, they had him captured by the British who thought he was their biggest threat militarily. He had stood up Washington and was eating at an inn. They did say a general named Reed agreed with him about Washington. And that some of the public and Washington's troops were becoming very doubtful of Washington and the war effort.
Not true? I wish Ollie North ran that channel.
Not just New Brunswick, but a great deal of Nova Scotia, and especially Ontario. The English speaking portions of Canada was virtually made by our Tory cousins who left after we gained independence.
From a FR post several years ago about songs from wartime (Military Officers Association Of America ^ | April 3, 2004 | David Edward Dayton):
"Everyone knew and sang the tune. Then Richard Shuckburgh wrote a ridicule of the Connecticut militia to it, and his version became the most popular—and
most despised—in the 13 colonies. British troops sang the “Yankey Song” on march, off duty, and outside churches; they literally sang the colonists into
rebellion. Yet this mockery of our armed forces became our first national hit.
On April 19, 1775, Lord Hugh Percy led 900 soldiers from Boston to Concord, Mass., to punish the insurrectionists, seize ammunition stores, and apprehend
rebel leaders. An earlier expedition frantically retreated into their ranks, fleeing colonial sharpshooters. Percy battled his way back to Boston one bloody mile at
a time. Ecstatic with success, the American soldiers “captured” the Shuckburgh ditty and sang it as their anthem of victory. Historian Stuart Murray notes, “The
‘Yankey Song’ soon would have new words and a new name: ‘Yankee Doodle,’ America’s song of triumph.”
"the white men of Barnstable, Mass..."
Yeah, I'm sure this little village in colonial Massachusetts was just full of disinfranchised people of color unable to vote... (or is there any record of just ONE???)
Why write stories in language so disrespectful of our forefathers?
This is just an excellent question for today, so I did some research. Enjoy!
1) The word macaroni also meant "dandy", or "fop", or "dude" at the time.
Here is an in-depth explanation of "Yankee Doodle" and it's history, better explained than I can sum up in this thread.
So, I guess this means that we should "feel good" about all the anti-american moonbats running around today. They aren't traitors who spill national defense secrets to the enemy. They are the truly courageous ones among the rest of us patriotic slobbering idiots. They, too, may have an important place in the history of our country someday.
Now please excuse me while I go up-chuck.
Happy 4th to all Freepers and real Americans!!!!!!!!!
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