Patriot: The American Revolutionary Who Favored Independence from Britain

During the American Revolution (1765-1783), a Patriot (also called Whig, Rebel, or Congress Man) was someone who supported the Thirteen Colonies' independence from Great Britain—politically, militarily, or ideologically.

Who Were the Patriots?

• Demographics: ~40-45% of white colonial population (historians' estimate)
• Geography: Strongest in New England, Virginia, mid-Atlantic; weaker in Georgia, Carolinas backcountry, NY/NJ coastal areas
• Class: Cross-class: merchants (John Hancock), planters (Washington, Jefferson), lawyers (Adams), artisans (Revere), farmers, laborers
• Ethnicity: Mostly English descent; also Scots-Irish, German, Dutch, French Huguenot
• Religion: Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Anglican (split), Quaker (divided — pacifism vs. liberty)

Patriot vs. Loyalist vs. Neutral

Patriot Institutions

• Continental Congress (1774-1789): Political leadership
• Continental Army (1775-1783): Military arm (Washington, commander)
• Committees of Correspondence / Safety / Inspection: Local enforcement, boycotts, intelligence
• Sons of Liberty: Radical direct action (Boston Tea Party, tarring/feathering)
• State constitutions / governments: Replaced royal governments 1776+

Key Figures

• Political: Washington, Jefferson, Adams (John & Samuel), Franklin, Hancock, Henry, Paine
• Military: Greene, Knox, Morgan, Arnold (before treason), Lafayette (French volunteer)
• Women: Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Sampson (disguised soldier), Molly Pitcher (legendary)
• Black Patriots: Crispus Attucks, Peter Salem, Salem Poor, 1st Rhode Island Regiment, ~5,000+ total
• Indigenous allies: Oneida, Tuscarora, Stockbridge-Munsee — most nations neutral or British-aligned

Legacy

"Patriot" became the foundational American political identity—claiming the Revolution's legacy for every subsequent movement: abolitionists, suffragists, labor organizers, civil rights activists. The term remains contested: who inherits the Patriot mantle? The Revolution's unfinished business is the struggle to define it.