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Who were the Patriots during the American Revolution?
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American Revolution
The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis (at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781), oil on canvas by John Trumbull, completed in 1820; in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C. The painting captures the moment when major fighting during the American Revolution ended and the colonies achieved independence.
During the American Revolution, the term Patriots referred to the colonists who opposed British policy and sought to throw off British rule to establish the sovereign United States of America.512
Patriots were defined by their resistance to British measures, such as the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts, which they viewed as unconstitutional violations of their rights. Their efforts included:341
- Organized Resistance: Groups like the Sons of Liberty used petitions, propaganda, and assemblies to rally support, sometimes resorting to violence against British officials.3
- Political Action: Patriots transformed colonial legislatures into revolutionary bodies, organized committees of safety, and elected delegates to the Continental Congress.1
- Economic Boycotts: Through the Association, they organized a widespread boycott of British goods to pressure the crown.4
- Military Engagement: Patriots formed the core of the resistance that fought the British army from 1775 to 1783.56
While estimates vary, perhaps half of the colonists were firm Patriots, while others remained neutral or supported the crown as loyalists.62