~ Liberty and No Rights ~
Throughout the American War of Independence the British (always outnumbered), could not commit the resources required for
the Loyalists to
effectively mobilise and gain the initiative. Even in loyal States such as Georgia the Loyalists were constantly being
attacked in all but within a number of small pockets of British held territory.
One such pocket was New York, originally Loyalist as it was the main centre of commerce with the
most educated populace in the colonies (70% of whites being literate) and had proved their allegiance by not only
resisting rebel attempts to disarm them, they asked Britain for more weapons and their military intervention.
So when Washington's was defeated at the battle of Long Island, New York became the main safe area for
Loyalists who were fleeing the effects of Congress proclaiming them traitors and offering large rewards to
anyone who revealed the names of such 'Tories'. This piratical move was mainly aimed at Loyalist farmers and
tradesmen who had valuable properties, as the rebels wanted to seize and sell them to help finance their illicit
war.
But as the war progressed, rebel terror tactics, such as Washington stating: “To discourage
the torturing of Loyalists would injure the cause of ‘liberty’ in which we are engaged and only an enemy of his
country would attempt to do“) took increasing effect and more and more vulnreable Loyalists understandably
migrated there, to the point that by 1782 they totalled well over hundred thousand.
At the end of the war and the signing of the peace 'Treaty of Paris' in 1783 which expressly protected the loyalists, the
rebels made promises they were in no position to keep so instead chose to pursue Loyalists like criminals, driving many
out the country.
Then they came up with the Disenfranchisement
Act of 1784, for any that had stayed, which took away their right to vote, fined them $100,000, denied them any legal
defence against anyone who brought bogus claims against them, prevented them from practicing their professions,
confiscated many of their properties and forced them to pay double or treble taxes. Also any rebel supporter who wished
to obtain a Loyalist’s home could hire thugs to drive them out without redress.
The Loyalists simply had no rights in the 'so called' land of the ‘free’ which must mean the freedom of the
'dominant to carry out any injustices they pleased.