Loyalists vs. Patriots

The Revolutionary War split the people of the American colonies into two groups: the loyalists and the patriots.

Patriots were people who wanted the American colonies to gain their independence from Britain. They wanted their own country called the United States.

People in the Americas felt they weren't being treated fairly by the British. They were being taxed without any say or representation in the British government. Soon cries for "liberty" were being heard throughout the colonies. The patriots wanted freedom from British rule.

There were many famous patriots. Such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, and George Washington.

. Other patriots included Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Ben Franklin. They were are often called the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Not everyone who lived in the American colonies wanted to break away from the British. There were many people who wanted to stay part of Britain and remain British citizens. These people were called loyalists.

Since the loyalists lost the war, there aren't as many famous loyalists as there are patriots. Benedict Arnold was a general in the Continental Army who went to fight for the British. Another famous loyalist was Joseph Galloway who was the Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress but later worked for the British army.