Who Am I? The American Colonies in 1775.

Front

I am a wealthy merchant in New York City. My family's business relies on trade with England, and I fear that if the colonies break apart, our trade routes will be cut off, and my family will lose everything.

Back

LOYALIST

Answer explanation

Loyalist.

He is wealthy and his business depends on loyalty to the Crown.

Front

I am a blacksmith in Massachusetts. The British soldiers in my town have taken over my shop and always ask me a lot of questions. I have heard stories about the recent battles at Lexington and Concord, and this has given me many sleepless nights with worry.

Back

PATRIOT

Answer explanation

Patriot.

He has experienced the negative effects of British occupation firsthand and feels a strong sense of injustice.

Front

I am a Quaker (religious Christian) farmer in the countryside of Pennsylvania. My family and I have worked this land for generations, and we believe that all war is wrong. I've heard the arguments from both sides, but I have faith in God above all.

Back

NEUTRAL

Answer explanation

Neutral.

His religious beliefs forbid him from participating in violence, so he would not take a side in the war.

Front

I am a landowner in Georgia. I live a quiet life far from the major cities where the protests are happening. I have little interest in the politics of Boston or Philadelphia. All I care about is harvesting my crops and selling them.

Back

NEUTRAL

Answer explanation

Neutral.

He is geographically isolated and feels the conflict does not directly affect his daily life.

Front

I am a young woodcrafting apprentice in Philadelphia, living and working under my master. Many of our customers are British officers and their families, but I like to spend my evenings reading locally-written pamphlets whose words about liberty have filled me with a great sense of purpose and energy.

Back

PATRIOT

Answer explanation

Patriot.

This person is young, impressionable, and directly influenced by the radical ideas of the time, which are strongly in favor of independence.

Front

I am a farmer who lives on the frontier of New York. The British army protects my family and our land from frequent Indian attacks. Without the King's soldiers, we would have to rely on our small village's militia for protection. What am I?

Back

LOYALIST

Answer explanation

Loyalist.

His primary concern is safety and protection, which the British military provides. He sees the King as a necessary force for order and security against very real threats.

Front

I am a widow who runs a small shop in a town near Boston. I have a son who works in the city, and a brother in the British army. I worry about my son getting caught up in the Patriot protests and being put in danger, but I also worry about my brother, should war break out. All I truly want is for everyone to get along and for my family to be safe as I am already sad about losing my husband to illness. What is my political stance?

Back

NEUTRAL

Answer explanation

Neutral.

She has a foot in both worlds—a son who could be a Patriot and a brother who is a Loyalist. Her primary motivation is her family's safety and well-being.

Front

I am a slave in the Southern colonies. I have heard promises from both sides. The British have offered freedom to any slave who joins their army. The Patriots speak of liberty, but they are the ones who hold me in bondage. My only interest is my freedom and that of my family, and I will support whoever is most likely to grant it.

Back

LOYALIST

Answer explanation

Loyalist.

This is a complex case. His interests do not align with either the Patriots or the Loyalists, but rather with personal liberty. The British offer of freedom gives him a powerful motivation to support the Crown, even if he has no real loyalty to it. His ultimate allegiance is to his own freedom, which would make him act in a way that favors the British for realistic reasons.

Front

I am a Native American chief of the Iroquois Confederacy. The English and French have been fighting for control of our lands for years. My people have a long history of trading and making treaties with the English. We believe that if the colonists gain independence, they will continue to expand westward over the Appalachian Mountains.

Back

LOYALIST

Answer explanation

Loyalist.

Many Indian tribes, particularly the Iroquois, saw the British as a more reliable and predictable force. They feared that an independent United States would not respect their treaties or their land, and that the colonists would expand unchecked into their territory.

Front

I am a woman running a household in a farming community in New Jersey. My husband is away for long periods, and I am the sole person responsible for our farm and children. I've heard the men in the town arguing about the unfair taxes, but I have my hands full with daily chores and the raising of my children. I worry about the crop harvest, not about who is in charge thousands of miles away. What is my political stance?

Back

NEUTRAL

Answer explanation

Neutral.

Her life is focused on the immediate, practical matters of survival and family. The political conflict feels distant and irrelevant to her day-to-day struggles. Many women and rural colonists simply did not have the time, luxury, or inclination to get involved in the political turmoil.