TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE OR NOT?
Introduction
In Chapter 2, sections 1-2, you learned that tensions between Great Britain and the American
colonies had grown between 1754 and 1775. In this section, you will read about colonists who argued
for and against independence [independence: separation from, or freedom from control by, another
country or government], or separation from Great Britain.
People for independence no longer wanted Great Britain to rule the colonies. These colonists were
called Patriots. Some Patriots argued for their cause in speeches and newspaper articles. Others
took stronger actions, such as joining mobs that attacked the homes and businesses of those who
disagreed with them.
Colonists who remained loyal to Great Britain were called Loyalists. Some Loyalists gave speeches
arguing that the colonies should remain under the rule of Great Britain. Other Loyalists took stronger
actions, such as armed attacks against Patriots.
Many colonists remained neutral, or did not take sides. They were neither Loyalists nor Patriots.
As you read this chapter, use this T-chart to track how six important colonists felt about
independence. The Loyalists on the left-hand side of the T-chart argued against independence. The
Patriots on the right-hand side of the T-chart argued in favor of becoming a country separate from
Great Britain. Why did some colonists want to remain under the rule of Great Britain and its king?
Why did others want the colonies to be independent?
Who were the Loyalists and Patriots?
The colonies were divided over the question of independence. Historians disagree about how many
colonists chose each side. Some believe there were more Patriots than Loyalists. But probably less
than half of the colonists were Patriots, and less than half were Loyalists. The rest were neutral.
The Loyalists included many kinds of people. Some were rich landowners. They feared that Patriot
mobs might take their property.
Some Loyalists were governors who had been appointed to their jobs by King George III. These men
liked their government, and they felt that it was their duty to make sure that British laws were obeyed
in the colonies.
Other Loyalists were religious leaders who believed that the king’s power came from God. Many of
them were members of the Church of England, Great Britain’s official church. They believed that it
was wrong to oppose the king. They told their followers, “You have a duty to be loyal to the church
and to the king!”
Many colonists were Patriots. This group included merchants who lived in and around the city of
Boston. They were angry about British taxes on goods such as tea and paper. The taxes hurt their
businesses because many colonists boycotted the taxed goods.
Some Patriots were lawyers. They fought in the courts against British laws that they thought were
unfair. They believed that the colonists should have more say in making laws that directly affected
them.
Some Patriots were farmers. Others were people who worked at crafts such as printing, shipbuilding,
and making clothes. They agreed with Patriot leaders who said that independence would bring more
freedom and wealth to the colonies.
In this chapter, you will learn about three Loyalists and three Patriots. As you read about these
people, think about why they felt the way they did. What reasons did each give for being a Loyalist or
a Patriot?
Thomas Hutchinson: A Loyalist Governor
Thomas Hutchinson was a Loyalist who lived in Massachusetts. The king named him the royal
governor of Massachusetts in 1771. He was a dedicated official. But over time, Hutchinson became
one of the most hated men in the colonies because he always sided with the British against the
Patriots.
Hutchinson was a thin, serious man who rarely smiled. He didn’t like to show his feelings. Although
he was a successful businessman, he didn’t wear fancy clothes.
As an official serving the king, Hutchinson firmly believed in enforcing British laws such as the Stamp
Act of 1765. Patriots were furious about the Stamp Act. One night, an angry mob burst into
Hutchinson’s house. The mob stole money and broke furniture. They also destroyed his prized
collection of books. From then on, Hutchinson was a bitter enemy of the Patriots.
As a Loyalist, Hutchinson believed that the colonists could not govern themselves without the British
king to guide them. He thought that King George III knew what was best for the colonists because the
king was wise and experienced. Hutchinson also wrote that British people who lived overseas, such
as the colonists, could not expect to have the same freedoms that British people in Great Britain
enjoyed.
In 1774, some Patriots embarrassed Hutchinson by printing some letters that he had written to the
British government. The letters said that Great Britain should be tougher on the colonists. When
colonists read his letters in the newspaper, many more of them turned against him. And they became
convinced that getting fair treatment for the colonies from Great Britain was not possible.
Jonathan Boucher: Loyalist Religious Leader
Reverend Jonathan Boucher was a British religious leader. He used his sermons to spread his
Loyalist beliefs.
Boucher first came to the colonies as a young man in 1759. Later, he went back to Great Britain.
There he became a priest in the Church of England. Then he returned to the colonies. He became a
well-known religious leader in Maryland.
Many people in the colonies liked Boucher because he was intelligent and full of charm. He was
balding and usually wore spectacles, or glasses.
Boucher was full of energy and ambition. He was a forceful man who was comfortable talking in front
of large groups. Boucher was never afraid to speak his mind, no matter how many people disagreed
with him. As a minister, he expected everyone to obey his teachings. He used his talents and his
occupation to argue for the Loyalists’ cause.
Boucher preached that the king’s power came from God. He said that Christians had a special duty to
obey British laws. Disobeying the king was like disobeying God.
Boucher did not believe that common people were capable of ruling. He argued that the colonists
should obey British laws for their own good. He said that these laws came from God and made life
safer and better for most colonists.
Finally, Boucher warned that working for independence was dangerous. These actions could lead to
a war with Great Britain. Such a war would hurt thousands of people far worse than living with a few
unfair laws would.
Boucher’s Loyalist sermons made some Patriots angry. They threatened to hurt him. Realizing that
he was in danger, Boucher began keeping loaded pistols nearby when he gave his sermons.
Lord Dunmore: Loyalist Governor of Virginia
John Murray was a fierce Loyalist leader. His British title was Lord Dunmore. He came from a royal
Scottish family and was elected to the British Parliament at the age of 29. In 1771, King George III
appointed Dunmore to serve as royal governor of the colony of Virginia.
Dunmore was a proud and wealthy man. He dressed in fancy clothes that showed off his wealth and
importance. He was stubborn and sometimes bad-tempered. And he was very loyal to Great Britain.
Dunmore pointed out that Great Britain started the colonies and continued to protect them. Therefore,
he felt it had the right to rule them and to make them pay taxes on British goods.
Dunmore also argued that fighting for independence would hurt the economy and make many
colonists poor. He strongly believed that the colonists had a duty to obey British laws. The colonies,
he said, must depend on Great Britain. Colonists who would not fight for the king were traitors.
As governor, Dunmore thought that being tough would frighten the colonists into accepting British
rule. Instead, his firm actions angered many people in Virginia.
Dunmore began to fear for his family’s safety. In June 1775, he moved them onto a British warship.
He then gathered a number of warships. He sent the ships to attack Patriots’ homes and plantations
along the Elizabeth River. He promised to free any slaves owned by the rebels if the slaves fought
against the Patriots. A number of enslaved Africans joined him to gain their freedom.
In the end, Dunmore’s harsh actions only made the views of the Patriots more popular. Because of
him, many who had been neutral began to think that they should fight for independence from Great
Britain.
Benjamin Franklin: The Thoughtful Patriot
Benjamin Franklin was a popular and respected Patriot. At first, he did not favor independence. He
hoped that Great Britain would start to treat the colonies more fairly. When that didn’t happen,
Franklin sided firmly with the Patriots.
Franklin had many talents. He was a successful writer, printer, inventor, and scientist. He lived in the
city of Philadelphia, in the colony of Pennsylvania. There, he helped to start a library, a hospital, and
a college.
At first, Benjamin Franklin tried to reach agreement with Great Britain. But, by 1775, he fully supp...
At first, Benjamin Franklin tried to reach agreement with Great Britain. But, by 1775, he fully
supported independence. He became a Patriot leader.
The Granger Collection, New York
Although he was an important man, Franklin often dressed in plain suits. He sometimes wore
spectacles. He often wore a little fur cap to keep his head warm in winter.
People liked and admired Franklin. He was knowledgeable, funny, and wise. He could stay calm
when other people grew angry. He was good at helping people to understand one another’s ideas
during arguments.
These abilities made him a skilled statesman. He had a leading role in shaping American policy at
home. He was also a key diplomat who represented American ideas in Europe.
From 1757 to 1775, Franklin represented the point of view of the colonies in Great Britain. Patiently,
he tried to persuade the British government to stop making laws that the colonists thought were
unfair. He did help convince the government to repeal the Stamp Act. But Great Britain continued to
pass unfair laws. At last, Franklin went home and became a Patriot leader.
Franklin favored independence for several reasons. He thought that Great Britain would keep making
unfair laws. He believed that the colonists could no longer trust the British government. Finally,
Franklin believed that the colonists had the ability to govern themselves. By 1775, he was ready to
help them prove that he was right.
Mercy Otis Warren: A Patriot with a Pen
Patriot Mercy Otis Warren was a Massachusetts writer and poet. Patriots shared their ideas at
meetings in her home. Among those who attended were John and Abigail Adams, Samuel Adams,
and Otis’s husband James. Some historians believe that the idea for the Committees of
Correspondence was first discussed in her home.
Warren was thin, with dark eyes and dark hair. She was very religious and cautioned her friends
against wearing the latest fashions. She felt that doing so would offend God.
Even as a girl, Warren loved reading, writing, and discussing politics. She became upset by Great
Britain’s harsh treatment of the colonies. She felt that taxes were too high and that workers were paid
too little.
In both her writings and discussions, Warren made several arguments in favor of independence. She
said that British laws and taxes were unfair. Families in the colonies had a hard time earning enough
money to pay for expensive British goods. Therefore, the colonies would be better off with their own
government.
Warren also believed that women had a duty to speak out against Great Britain. And while she
thought that women didn’t have the strength to fight on the battlefields, their minds could be quite
powerful. She believed that women should have the same choices as men to get an education and to
take an active role in politics.
Warren expressed her ideas through her writing. Two of her plays cleverly attacked Loyalists such as
Thomas Hutchinson. Her writings helped to encourage many people in Massachusetts to become
Patriots.
Samuel Adams: A True Patriot
Samuel Adams was a leading Patriot in Massachusetts. Adams believed that the British were harsh
and unfair rulers. He using these talents to gain public support. His enemies called him a
troublemaker.
Adams was born into a wealthy Boston family, but he didn’t always manage his money wisely. When
he began his life as a politician, his friends had to buy him a new suit, a wig, and other clothing many
politicians wore at that time.
Adams argued for independence by writing newspaper articles. He also gave speeches and
frequently spoke at town meetings. Adams believed that colonists should not have to pay the high
taxes on British goods. He also said it was unfair that the king chose governors for the colonies. The
colonists, he argued, should be able to elect their own governors. Adams also thought that the
colonists should have the power to change unfair laws. If Great Britain refused to give them this
power, then they should become a separate country.
In 1765, Adams helped to organize a group called the Sons of Liberty. The Sons were a secret group
of Patriots. They encouraged colonists to disobey laws like the Stamp Act. In 1773, Adams and the
Sons led the Boston Tea Party to protest British taxes on tea.
Adams also helped to set up the Committees of Correspondence. These groups helped Patriots in all
the colonies share news and plans with one another. Before long, Samuel Adams was working day
and night to help the colonies win their independence.
Adams was always interested in politics. He went to Harvard University in Massachusetts. There he
wrote a paper on people’s right to fight against unfair government. Other local Patriots saw him as a
leader. By the mid-1760s he was a full-time politician.
Adams was devoted to politics. He was a dramatic speaker and a persuasive writer. And he was a
master at convincing people to fight for independence.