Revolutionary
War
Patriots, Loyalists,
Sons of Liberty,
Overmountain Men,
Redcoats, and
Minutemen
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Patriots
Patriots were American
colonists who fought for
independence from Great Britain
during the Revolutionary War.
They wanted their own country
because they did not think
Great Britain and King George III
were treating them fairly. Their
number one complaint was
“Taxation without
Representation!” Patriots were
also known as; Sons of Liberty,
Whigs, Colonials, and Rebels.
There are many famous Patriots
including; Ben Franklin, George
Washington, Patrick Henry,
Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams,
John Adams, Paul Revere, and
many more. The Patriots
declared independence from
Great Britain on July 4, 1776.
They were brave and determined
men.
George
Washington figure
in uniform.
Pretend you are a
member of the
Sons of Liberty and
make a poster
protesting King
George’s taxes!
The Sons of Liberty was a secretive political group
that began in 1765 in Boston and New York to organize
protests against the Stamp Act. Their motto was,
“No Taxation Without Representation!” The group
included some of our Founding Fathers, but was also
known for including “rough” men who were looking to
cause some trouble. Sam Adams was the Founder and
leader of the group. Some of the more famous
members also included; Paul Revere, Benedict Arnold,
John Hancock, and Patrick Henry. The Sons of Liberty
used mob rule, fear tactics, intimidation, force, and
violence to further their cause. Members of the group
also used letter writing (Committee of
Correspondence) to spread their opinions and
influence all across the 13 colonies.
The Sons of Liberty’s most famous act of rebellion
was a protest against the Tea Act called the Boston
Tea Party. They dressed as Native Americans and
boarded cargo ships in Boston’s harbor and proceeded
to dump 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. This
event so angered King George III, that he imposed
stricter restraints and punishments on the colonists
called the Intolerable Acts. This resulted in colonists
becoming even more committed to independence from
Great Britain and the Revolution to come.
The significance of the Sons of Liberty is that they
organized the 13 colonies to protest British rule,
which eventually led to the American Revolutionary
War.
This was the flag
designed by the
Sons of Liberty. It
was also called the
“Rebellious
Stripes”.
The flag above is a simple design. Design a
new flag for the Sons of Liberty in the
rectangle below. Remember, every color,
illustration, stripe, everything displayed
symbolizes something important when you
design a flag.
Loyalist
A Loyalist was an American
colonist who remained loyal
to the British during the
Revolutionary War. Famous
Loyalist included; Benedict
Arnold who was a traitor,
Thomas Hutchinson,
Governor of the
Massachusetts Colony, and
the Mayor of New York City,
David Matthews. Other
names for Loyalists included
Tories, Royalist, and the
King’s Men. New York City
was called the Tory Capital
of America. Loyalist did not
want to separate from the
British. They must have been
satisfied with how things
were going in the colonies.
They were mostly the more
rich and powerful colonists.
Pretend you are a Loyalist and write a short letter
to a friend or relative about how the Patriots have
declared independence. What are you thinking?
How do you feel about it?
July 4, 1776
Overmountain Men
The Overmountain Men were American
frontiersmen from west of the
Appalachian Mountains who fought in
the Revolutionary War. They fought in
many places in the southern campaign
of the war, but are most famous for
their victory at the Battle of King’s
Mountain. Those men walked and rode
330 miles in 3 weeks and surrounded
the Loyalist on King’s Mountain. They
had no escape route and the
Overmountain Men won a decisive
victory without any military training
or support. Famous Overmountain
Men include John Sevier and Isaac
Shelby. Sevier became the first
Governor of Tennessee. Shelby was
the first Governor of Kentucky. The
victory at King’s Mountain was very
important and considered one of the
turning points of the war. The Battle
at King’s Mountain was a huge morale
booster for the Patriots. After their
victory the British knew the colonists
in the south would not be easy to
defeat.
Think about an
American
frontiersman. What
skills and strengths
do they have that
helped them win the
Battle of King’s
Mountain? Make a
list of at least 4.
American Frontiersman,
and Overmountain Man
1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________
4. _______________
What disadvantages
did they have?
_________________
_________________
_________________
Minutemen
Minutemen were a small hand-picked
elite force which were required to
be able to move and assemble
quickly. Minutemen were selected
from militia muster rolls by their
commanding officers. Typically 25
years of age or younger, they were
chosen for their enthusiasm,
reliability, and physical strength.
They were like our first special
forces! The most famous of the
minutemen were those who fought
at Lexington and Concord, but many
of the New England colonies had
them trained and ready to go in a
minute’s notice!
Pretend you are a young American soldier in 1776. Fill out
an application to be considered as a minuteman in the
Continental Army.
Name__________________________________________
Date of Birth ___________________________________
Place of Birth ______________________________________
(name of colony)
Why do want to be a Minuteman? _______________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Describe the skills and traits you have that would make you a
good Minuteman.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Redcoats
The Redcoats is the term used for British soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
Great Britain had a hard time recruiting men to serve in the Revolutionary War.
Many of the Redcoats were ex-convicts, and from the lowest social order. The
Redcoats were in unfamiliar territory and not very well disciplined. The British had
more success by recruiting German mercenary soldiers to fight for them. They
were called Hessians. The Loyalist were very helpful to the British as well, but in
the end it wasn’t enough against the Continental Army and their passion for
freedom!
Loyalist
Compare and Contrast a
Loyalist and a Redcoat
Redcoat
Name __________________________
Directions: Match the term to the definition
a.
Frontiersman who lived west of Appalachian
mountains that fought at King’s Mountain.
b.
British Soldiers in Revolutionary War
c.
Germans who were paid to fight for British
d.
Colonists who were loyal to King George III
e.
Colonial soldiers who could be ready in a
minute’s notice
f.
Colonists who fought Great Britain for
Independence
g.
Group of colonists who led the protest to
fight for Independence
Loyalist ______
Minutemen _____
Sons of Liberty ____
Patriots _____
Hessians ____
Overmountain Men _____
Redcoats _____
Which group would you join if you had to fight in the Revolutionary War? (Patriots, Overmountain Men,
Minutemen, Sons of Liberty, Redcoats, or Loyalist)? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Name __________________________
Directions: Match the term to the definition
a.
Frontiersman who lived west of Appalachian
mountains that fought at King’s Mountain.
b.
British Soldiers in Revolutionary War
c.
Germans who were paid to fight for British
d.
Colonists who were loyal to King George III
e.
Colonial soldiers who could be ready in a
minute’s notice
f.
Colonists who fought Great Britain for
Independence
g.
Group of colonists who led the protest to
fight for Independence
D
Loyalist ______
Minutemen _____
E
G
Sons of Liberty ____
F
Patriots _____
C
Hessians ____
A
Overmountain Men _____
B
Redcoats _____
Which group would you join if you had to fight in the Revolutionary War? (Patriots, Overmountain Men,
Minutemen, Redcoats, or Loyalist)? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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