By Phil Orenstein
This is not a lecture on American History. Rather, it is an updated reading of the American Revolution to alert us all to the dangers behind the facades of our “nice” politicians.
During the American Revolution, the Patriots were American colonists who supported the cause of independence and rejected British rule, while the Loyalists were colonists who remained loyal to the British Empire and King George. While Loyalists saw themselves as Americans, they often kept their loyalty secret and maintained a middle-of-the-road position in order to curry favor with the British and reap rewards at the end of the war. They didn’t fight for either the British side or for American independence and were despised by both the Patriots and the British Crown. After the war, the Loyalists were publicly humiliated, banished, and many fled in disgrace to Canada or Britain.