Historians of the American Revolution, in their preoccupation with Patriot ideology, have conspicuously neglected Loyalist writing. Janice Potter here delineates the Loyalist world view, a vision of the colonies’ future decidedly different from that of the revolutionaries. In setting forth Loyalist ideas, Potter puts at the center increased economic and political integration of the colonies and the mother country. Loyalists further argued for strengthening the nonelected branches of government to make them less vulnerable to popular pressure. Their goal was a reformed British Empire and revitalized colonial institutions subordinate to the English Parliament. These ideas were shared by Loyalist writers of all backgrounds and regions, even those who had virtually no contact with one another, for they all relied on the same reservoir of conservative ideas in the British Constitution. This is the fullest and clearest exposition of Loyalist ideology in two major colonies and will stand next to classic studies of Patriot ideas as distinguished presentation of alternatives.

The Liberty We Seek: Loyalist Ideology in Colonial New York and Massachusetts PDF

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