The great social antagonists of the American Revolution were not poor vs rich, workers vs employers or even democrats vs aristocrats. They were patriots vs courtiers-- categories appropriate to the monarchical world in which the colonists had been reared. Courtiers were persons whose position or rank came artificially from above-- from heredity or personal connections that ultimately came from the crown or court. Courtiers, said John Adams, were those who applied themselves " to the Passions and Prejudices, the Follies and Vices of Great Men in order to obtain their Smiles, Esteem, and Patronage and consequently their favors and Preferments."...
