As the American Revolution unfolded, individuals in the colonies and beyond faced a difficult decision: would they support the fight for independence, remain loyal to Great Britain, or attempt to stay neutral? Loyalists supported continued British control of the colonies for various, and sometimes conflicting, reasons. In this lesson, students source and contextualize six documents to investigate why some individuals chose to side with Great Britain in the Revolutionary War.
[This new lesson was added on 4/08/2026.]
Image: Signed loyalty oath, 1777. From the Library of Congress.
