Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:______________ Class:____
Bell Ringer: Patriots and Loyalists
Instructions: Read the description. Answer the Questions below.
Patriot
Loyalist
Description: As the American Revolution began, some were Patriots and wanted to break away from Britain. Others were
Loyalists and wanted the colonies to remain with Britain. Sometimes, this tension even divided families. Benjamin
Franklin, pictured on the left, was a Patriot. William Franklin, Benjamin’s son, pictured on the right, was a Loyalist who
wanted to remain with Britain.
1. What reasons would Patriots give for wanting the Colonies to break away from Britain?
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2. What reasons would Loyalists give for wanting the Colonies to remain loyal to Britain?
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3. By the time of the Revolution, most Americans were Patriots. How do you think the geographic location of the 13
Colonies, which became the 13 States, influenced the desire of many to break away from Britain?
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Answers
1. What reasons would Patriots give for wanting the Colonies to break away from Britain?
The Patriots would appeal to taxation without representation, the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Acts, the Boston
Massacre, and other issues to stress the need for independence.
2. What reasons would Loyalists give for wanting the Colonies to remain loyal to Britain?
The Colonies, according the Loyalists, were committing treason by pursuing independence. They could argue that there
was no valid reason that the Colonies, if they were not loyal to Britain, would then be loyal to a new country, the United
States. There were still benefits to remaining loyal to Britain, including their military protection. They would have also
argued that Britain would be a difficult enemy to defeat.
3. By the time of the Revolution, most Americans were Patriots. How do you think the geographic location of the 13
Colonies, which became the 13 States, influenced the desire of many to break away from Britain?
The Colonies were separated by the Atlantic Ocean. They had drifted apart from Britain culturally. Likewise,
many Colonists, at the dawn of the Revolution, had never even lived in Britain. Their identity was in the Colonies.
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All Rights Reserved.