Thelate18

th
centurymarkedthefirstrumblingsofpoliticalunrestbuildinginthe
AmericanColonies.InitiationoftheStampActin1765andTeaActin1773helpedspark
thefirethatformanypatriotsmadetheneedforchangeunavoidable.TheRevolutionaryWar
iscommonlyviewedasagreatAmericantriumph,theepitomeofpoliticalefficacyandnational
pride.Itisoftenassumedthateveryonewasoverjoyedtobeafreecitizenofanindependent
country.However,lessoftenemphasizedarethe60,000100,000disillusionedloyalist
refugeesthatfledtoimperialBritainforfearofpersecutionbyanationtheydidntnecessarily
wantapartin(Jasanoff).ManyAmericansdidnotbecomeLoyalistbyactivechoicebasedon
politicaladvocacybutratherasaresultofambivalencetowardthepoliticalclimate.
TheprimarydistinctionbetweenPatriotsandLoyalistsisaquestionofidentity.
Loyalistswereallatonce,
ProvincialsettlerswhobecameinternationalmigrantsBritishsubjectswho
provedtheirloyaltyinonesettingandresistedimperialauthorityin
otherAmericanswhofailedorrefusedtofindaplaceintherepublicexiles
whocouldgohomeagain(Jasanoff,349)

AllcolonistswereatonceBritishsubjectsandAmericancitizens,butwhatdoesitmeanto
balancebothandwhichshouldprevailwhenitcomestoaquestionofloyalty?Colonists,lived,
workedandprofitedinAmericabutmanyowedtheirsuccesstothecrown.Ultimately,
Loyalistscouldntbeartobitethehandthatfedthembytakingastandforindependence.
Theywaveredandclaimedneutralityuntilsomeoneorsomethingforcedthemintoaction.
EventhoughtheDeclarationofIndependencewassignedin1776,itdidnot
necessarilyreflecttheviewsofallAmericans.SomeAmericancitizens,suchasBeverly
Robinson,stillrefrainedfromdeclaringtheirpositionpublicly.Asanupperclasslandowner,
Robinsondidnotwanthisworldtochange.Independencemeantuncertaintyforhimandhis
family.In1777,RobinsonwascalledinfrontoftheCommitteetoDetectConspiraciesand
interrogatedregardinghisneutrality.UltimatelyhetookhisstandandjoinedtheBritish
outright(Jasanoff,36).Thoughhestruggledwiththedecision,Robinsontooktheleast
controversialroute.SidingwiththeBritishatthispointenabledhimtoprotecthisassets,and
lefttheweightofimperialpowerathisback.FormanyotherslikeRobinson,
choicesaboutloyaltydependedmoreonemployers,occupations,profits,
land,family,andfriendshipsthanonanyimplicitidentificationasanAmerican
orBriton.(Jasanoff,24)

MotivatingfactorsforLoyalistsdifferedgreatlyfromthoseofPatriots.Theirloyaltytotheir
kingunitedthembutmostsimilaritiesstopthere.Theycamefromalldifferentbackgrounds
andstations,fightingnotforfreedom,changeorpassionbuttomaintainthestatusquo.
IncontrasttotheeliteRobinsonsistheJohnstonfamily,anexampleofLoyalist
sympathieswithinthemiddleclass.Asmentionedabovefamilialtiesoftenheldgreatinfluence
inthedecisionbetweenBritainandAmerica.WilliamJohnston,amiddleclasssoldierin
SavannahfollowedintheLoyalistfootstepsofhisfather,Dr.LewisJohnston.Asamore
recentimmigrant,Dr.Johnstonstiestotheimperialgovernmentweremuchstronger.Hisson
WilliamJohnstonschoicetofollowhisfatherthereforefallsintoashadedzonebetweenfree
choiceandforceofcircumstance(Jasanoff250).Whilehetechnicallycouldhavemadehis
owndecision,hefellintothepathofleastresistance.Evenwithoutthemonetaryandpolitical
motivationsofBeverleyRobinson,Johnstonplacatedhisfamilyandstayedwithwhatwas
familiar.
Despitetheirallegiancetotheking,loyalistsshouldnotnecessarilybedeemed
submissive.Thoughtheywerenotpreparedtoabandontheimperialconnectionalltogether,
theyhadnodesiretobetreatedassupplicantminionseither(Jasanoff,33).TheLoyalist
perspectiveisatangledone,atonceloyaltotheirking,butalsoaccustomedtorelative
freedomoflivingoverseasinadevelopingcountry.Colonistsarenottobepushedaround
theyhadexperiencedsemiautonomyandwerentsupportiveofParliamentdictatingtheirdaily
lives.MostLoyalistsconsistofcontradictions,
ImportingpoliticalsensibilitiesfromcolonialAmericaintopostrevolutionary
BritishEmpire,loyalistrefugeesturnedouttobevectorsofimperialdissentas
conspicuouslyastheembodiedloyalconsent(Jasanoff,346)

Theironyoftheirsituation,uprootingtheirlivesandtravelingthousandsofmilestocolonizeon
behalfoftheirkingwhilesimultaneouslyresistingthesamekingsdictationofpolicy
demonstratesthecomplexityoftheLoyalistposition.
TofurtherhighlightthealienationexperiencedbyLoyalistsitisimportantto
acknowledgethatalthoughBritainishometotheloyalistitisnottheirhomeland.Elizabeth
Johnston,wifeofWilliamJohnston,expressedthissentimentinhermemoirs,demonstratedby
herreluctancetosendheroldestdaughterElizatoBritainwiththeirpatronstheWildmans.
Wecouldnotforsomeweeksmakeupourmindstopartwithher,butaftermuchreflection
weconsidereditbestforthechild(Johnston,89).TheJohnstonsspenttwentyyearsin
constantmotion,settlinginanewimperialoutpostonlytobeunsatisfiedorforcedbypersonal
circumstancetoleave.Eliza,bornandraisedinJamaicahadneversetfootinBritain,yether
parentsdecideditwouldbebestforhertobeeducatedathome.
PerhapsoneofthemoststrikingexamplesofAmericanloyalismasavehiclefor
personaladvancementistheintroductionofindenturedservantsandslavesintotheBritish
fightingforce.LordDunmore,formergovernorVirginia,issuedaproclamationgranting
freedomtoallServants,Negros,orOthersableandwillingtobearArms(Jasanoff,48).
Asidefromthepromiseoffreedom,whatothermotivationcouldtherebeforaslavetorisk
lifeandlimbforagovernmentthathadpreviouslylegitimizedtheirenslavement?Uniquely,
boththepatriotsandtheLoyalistsweredistressedbytheideaoffreedomforslaves.Most
colonieswerestillintheplantationphaseoftheireconomiesandwithoutcheaplaborboth
sideswouldhavebornsignificantloss.
Slavesaside,manyLoyalistsweremateriallydisadvantagebytheirchoicetosupport
theBritish.Propertyseizure,vandalismandtheftallpervadedthestoriesofLoyalistsforced
fromtheirhomes.TheRobinsonfamilytriedattheveryleastmaintainedtheirstandingin
society.AsaneliteupperclassfamilyinNewYorktheRobinsonshadmoretolosethanthe
newlymarriedJohnstons.WhilesomemightarguetheRobinsonsdidntgainfromtheir
positionasloyalist,theydidimproveopportunitiesfortheirchildren.BeverleyRobinsons
foundingoftheLoyalAmericanRegimentestablishedthreeofhissonswithrankingpositions
inthemilitary.CompensationfromtheLoyalistClaimsCommissionallowedRobinsontoretire
comfortablyinGloucestershire,Englandandtoinvesthisremainingresourcesinplacinghis
childreninthemilitary,thebestmechanismforupwardmobility(Jasanoff,15)
Incontrast,themiddleclassJohnstonsLoyaliststanceresultedinhugeadvancements
intheirfamilyfortune.ThroughforcedmigrationJohnstonmovedtoEdinburghtofinishhis
medicalschoolingandeventuallyfoundanicheasalocaldoctorinJamaica.Withoutthe
necessityofanewcareerpathandplacetoliveWilliammayneverhaveleftAmericaorfound
awaytoimprovehissocialstanding.AfterleavingJamaicathefamilyfinallysettledinNova
Scotiafinallyin1796,wheretheir
survivingchildrenbecameprominentmembersofNovaScotias
professionalandpoliticalelite,insomecasesachievingpositionsofhigher
statusthantheycouldeverhaveplausiblyenjoyedhadtheyremainedinthe
UnitedStates.(Jasanoff,345)

ForfortyyearsdisplacedLoyalistswanderedtheBritishEmpire.Some,likethe
Robinsons,wentstraightbacktoBritainandattemptedtocarvethemselvesanewnichein
theiroldsociety.Others,liketheJohnstons,spenttwentyorthirtyyearsadriftbouncingfrom
oneimperialoutposttoanother,constantlywrongfootedbyexpectationsofimperialpower
andtheirexperiencesasimperialsubjects.Thiswaywardnesspersonifiesthesentimentsofthe
AmericanLoyalisttobeaBritishsubjectonforeignsoilistobequintessentiallyindecisiveand
noncommittal.

WorksCited
Bailkin,Jordanna."Honors490B."Lecture#3.UniversityofWashington,Seattle.18Oct.
2011.Lecture.
Jasanoff,Maya.Liberty'sExilesAmericanLoyalistsintheRevolutionaryWorld.Vintage,
2012.Print.
Johnston,Elizabeth."RecollectionsofaGeorgiaLoyalist."InternetArchive:DigitalLibrary
ofFreeBooks,Movies,Music&WaybackMachine.Web.27Oct.2011.
<http://www.archive.org/stream/recollectionsofg00john>.