Points of View

Patriots

Patriots were people who wanted the American colonies to gain their independence from Britain. They wanted their own country called the United States.

People in the Americas felt they weren't being treated fairly by the British. They were being taxed without any say or representation in the British government. Soon cries for "liberty" were being heard throughout the colonies. The patriots wanted freedom from British rule.

Loyalists

Not everyone who lived in the American colonies wanted to break away from the British. There were many people who wanted to stay part of Britain and remain British citizens. These people were called loyalists.

Many people felt that their lives would be better off if the colonies remained under British rule. Some of these people were simply afraid to go up against the might of the British army. Others had business interests in England and knew that English trade was important to the economy. Still others thought that British rule would be better than patriot rule.

Women

Most women during the Revolutionary War stayed home and took care of the farm or the family business while their husband was off at war. They had to learn new skills and take on extra work. Some women, however, took part directly in the war. Many women worked as nurses for the Continental Army. They assisted doctors and took care of the sick. This was a dangerous job as they were constantly exposed to the many diseases that were common in army hospitals.

Spies - Women also worked as spies. Officers from both sides tended to talk freely around women believing that they wouldn't understand military terms and strategy. This made women powerful spies who could gather top level information.

Camp Followers - Some women worked as camp followers during the war. They would follow the army camp and help take care of the soldiers: mending clothes, cooking meals, and cleaning up the camp.

Soldiers - Women were not allowed to serve as soldiers in the army, but this didn't stop some women from fighting. They disguised themselves as men and used fake names when enlisting. Some women served for quite a long time before being discovered.

Native Americans

Native Americans fought for both sides in the war. Tribes who fought for Great Britain were treated unusually poorly by Patriots, sometimes having their property burned to the ground. Following the war, Native Americans were not offered any rights outlined in the Constitution. These beliefs of Manifest Destiny and superiority led to westward expansion and the Indian Removal Act.

African Americans

For African Americans, what mattered most was freedom. As the Revolutionary War spread through every region, those in bondage sided with whichever army promised them personal liberty. The British actively recruited slaves belonging to Patriot masters and, consequently, more blacks fought with Loyalists. Estimated 100,000 slaves fled to the British and claim their freedom, if only for a short time.

European Allies

The American Colonists did not fight the Revolutionary War for independence from Britain by themselves. They had allies, or partners, who helped them by providing help in the form of supplies, weapons, military leaders, and soldiers. These allies played a major role in helping the colonists to gain their independence. The primary allies were France, Spain, and the Netherlands.

European nations had a number of reasons why they aided the American colonies against Britain.

• Common Enemy - Britain had become the major power in Europe and the rest of the world. Countries such as France and Spain saw Britain as their enemy. By aiding the Americans they were also hurting their enemy. France and Spain wanted to regain their power over Great Britain.

• Personal Gain - The allies hoped to regain some of the territory they had lost during the Seven Years' War as well as gain a new trade partner in the United States.

• Belief in Freedom - Some people in Europe related to the American fight for independence. They wanted to help free them from British rule.