• Colonists living on the western frontier not a part of the political quarrels

• A fight for independence would expose them to Indian attack since fighting would draw men away from the defense of the frontier.

• Many frontier settlers did not support the fight for independence.

• A quarter of the colonists remained loyal to Great Britain and the king; Patriots called them Loyalists.

• Loyalists were strong in

southern colonies. • Loyalist sympathies

were strong among people who had been government officials or belonged to the Anglican Church.

• Patriots harassed Loyalists.

Reactions to Independence• Loyalists fought with

the British.

• Others left the country for other British lands.

• Some simply lived quietly and avoided politics.

• After the American Revolution ended, perhaps 100,000 Loyalists left the United States, mainly to settle in Canada.

The People behind the American Revolution

Continental Army

Strengths• Strong military leadership• Fighting on home territory• Alliance with France

Weaknesses• Small, untrained military• Shortages of resources• Weak central government

British Army

Strengths• Well-trained military• Ample resources• Alliances with Loyalists

Weaknesses• Fighting in unfamiliar

territory• Fighting far from home

The People behind the American RevolutionWomen’s Roles• Active in boycotts and other

protests• Cared for wounded in their homes• Raised money to supply the army

with food and clothing • At home, women knit wool

stockings and made bandages for the troops.

• Some melted down their pewter pots and pitchers to make bullets.

• As in all wars, women kept their homes, farms, and shops running while the men were at war.

African American Roles• Free and enslaved fought on

both sides of the war.• Some offers of freedom in

exchange for military service came from both sides.

• Continental Army’s need for soldiers overcame prejudice.

• New England regiments had the most African Americans.

• African American soldiers generally received the same pay, clothing, and rations as whites.

• Most had menial duties, were kept at low ranks, and were not encouraged to re-enlist.

The People behind the American Revolution

The Role of Native Americans • Four of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League helped the

British. • Oneidas and Tuscaroras sided with the Americans. • On the frontiers, Loyalists and Native Americans

sometimes fought together. – In the mountains of Virginia and the Carolinas, the

Cherokees attacked some settlements. – Patriot militias fought back fiercely and tried to force

the Cherokees to move west.

Revolution Changes America

Women’s rights

• Equality did not include American women.

• The words in the Declaration of Independence applied only to white males.

• Married women still could not sign contracts or own property.

• The law stated that a married woman’s property belonged to her husband.

African Americans • Many African Americans who

had fought for the Patriot cause believed they had earned their freedom.

• In 1780 Pennsylvania passed a law for the gradual abolition of slavery.

• During the 1780s the New England states also abolished slavery.

• After the war, both Virginia and Maryland made it easier to grant freedom to enslaved people. Several southern states also passed laws limiting the slave trade.

Revolution Changes America

Impact on Religion• Before the war, many colonies

had official churches that everyone paid taxes to support.

• New laws endorsed a separation of church and state.

• For the Roman Catholic Church, the Revolutionary War led to a certain amount of acceptance. Catholics had often faced prejudice, but the arrival of French Catholic soldiers helped change many people’s attitudes.

A New Nation • The war left the new nation

with some problems. • The Revolution had cost a lot

of money, and Congress had borrowed from foreign sources and American citizens.

• Now the money needed to be repaid.

• Setting up a central government to deal with debt and other national issues was going to be complicated. The Continental Congress would meet again to discuss economic issues and a new system of government.