Tory or Patriot What’s the difference?

**Remember: Loyal to the royals Tories Famous Tories: -Benedict Arnold -Thomas Hutchinson -James Chalmers -Joseph Brant Tories were colonists whose loyalty remained with Great Britain during the American Revolution AKA: Loyalists King’s men King’s Friends **Remember: Loyal to the royals

Tory Beliefs The ‘divine right of kings’ – the belief that the king had been chosen by god and that his subjects had a religious duty to obey him – led to fierce Tory loyalty to the monarchy The Tories strongly defended the supremacy of the Church of England and were against extending civil rights to non conformists (religious minorities) Tories were overwhelmingly and exclusively made up of upper class nobles The Tories were fearful of and resistant to change and revolution – led them to want to put down protestors The Tories believed the existing political system should never be reformed (or changed)

Patriot Patriots are the persons in the colonies that supported the American Revolution. They included people from all social and economic classes. AKA: Whigs Rebels Sons of Liberty Liberty Boys Famous Patriots: John Adams Sam Adams Benjamin Franklin Thomas Jefferson George Washington Thomas Paine * It may help you remember the Whigs from the Tories if you think of American Whig & General, George Washington, who famously wore a wig.

Whig Beliefs The Whigs were more likely to question the power and spending of the King and the royal family The Whigs believed Parliament should have more power than the King They were mainly upper class but increasingly drew support from ‘new money’ the industrial and commercial middle class The Whigs were sympathetic to religious minorities (Catholics and non conformists) The Whigs were less resistant to change and became more and more pro-reform as the influence of the new middle class grew

Throughout the Colonies When Loyalists were the minority living among Patriot communities : They tended to be passive and quiet, perhaps because of harassment and intimidation. Loyalists were vilified in propaganda as spies, money-hungry capitalists and enemies of the revolution. There were constant threats of violence, such as tarring-and-feathering, against those who continued to support the king Many Loyalist families fled their homes because of threats or intimidation. It is believed that around 80,000 Loyalists fled America during or after the Revolutionary War, most to Canada and some to British colonies in the Caribbean or to England itself. Since Loyalists tended to be government officials or hold some kind of local office, these positions were quickly filled by ambitious Patriots, further shifting the balance in support of the revolution.

Tarring and Feathering