Question

What percentage of the colonists were patriots? Tories? Indifferent?

Answer 1

Hint: Patriots were people who wanted the American colonies to be free of British rule. They desired their own country, the United States of America. Patriots desired independence from British rule.

Complete answer:
During the American Revolution, a Loyalist, also known as a Tory, was a colonist who supported Great Britain. Many loyalists initially advocated for compromise in the fight for colonial rights and were only compelled to become committed loyalists by militant fellow colonists who labelled those who refused to join them as Tories.

- Initial figures were based on John Adams' assertion that one-third favoured independence, one-third supported the crown, and one-third were undecided. According to modern scholarship, John Adams may have been referring to the French revolution rather than the American one.
- Loyalists were colonists during the American Revolutionary War who supported the British monarchy and remained loyal to it.
- During the American Revolution, patriots were colonists who rebelled against British rule.
- The best figures today are 40-55 percent Patriots, 15-25 percent Loyalists, and 30-45 percent uncommitted.
- Historians now believe Adams was referring to American attitudes toward the French Revolution rather than our own. According to current estimates, approximately 20% of the colonists were Loyalists, or those who remained loyal to England and King George.
- One-third to one-half of the colonists were Patriots during the battle.

Note: The patriots had many advantages, including fighting on their own turf; fighting for the independence of their own territory, which gave them an advantage over the British army's hired Hessians; and having George Washington as their brilliant leader. Thomas Hutchinson, a prominent Boston merchant from an old American family who served as governor of Massachusetts, is one of the most famous Loyalists.