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Were The Patriots And Loyalists Justified

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In the past, while learning about the American Revolution I had always thought of America as a united front. The war between the Patriots and Loyalists could even be compared to the war between America and Britain. The Patriots were not justified in abusing and expelling the Loyalists. In the actions the Patriots took against the Loyalists, they violated their unalienable rights, these actions also allowed for history to repeat itself through the civil war in 1861. The Patriots fought for an admirable cause, as stated in the Declaration of Independence they believed in fighting for the "unalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Ford.153). However, they took these "unalienable" rights away from the …show more content…

In 1861, America entered a war within itself, the American Civil War. Both conflicts began in a similar fashion. In both situations, a party felt like they were being muffled by the government. In response to their feelings, both groups of rebels decided that they could survive on their own. This caused friction within both parties and a disconnect between the government and those who thoroughly believed in its practice and the governed and those who believed that there was more that could be done. While some believed that it was best to see the government through, it is understandable to see where some might find it more appealing to demand change. It is interesting to ponder an alternate end to the American Revolution, while an accent might be nice, we would live in world where even the simplest necessities would be heavily taxed and America would no longer be a safe haven for those seeking life, love and the pursuit of happiness, like Thomas Paine stated in Common Sense "This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe" (Paine.150). Both groups of people during both periods of war wanted the best possible outcome for America, unfortunately that was taken too far when Patriots started abusing Loyalists and expelling them from the

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