Resisting Independence
Popular Loyalism in the Revolutionary British Atlantic
Book •
Brad Jones's Resisting Independence examines loyalism across the British Atlantic during the American Revolution, focusing on popular loyalist identity in cities such as New York, Halifax, Glasgow, and Kingston.
Jones argues that loyalism was not merely passive or self-interested but a coherent political stance shaped by commitments to Protestantism, constituted government, and an expansive Britishness.
Using print culture, petitions, and local case studies, he traces how events like the Stamp Act crisis and the alliance with France transformed perceptions of loyalty and rebellion.
The book reframes the Revolution as a form of civil war among British subjects, showing how transatlantic connections and local circumstances influenced choices.
It highlights loyalists' ideology and actions, challenging older portrayals of them as mere cowards or opportunists.
Jones argues that loyalism was not merely passive or self-interested but a coherent political stance shaped by commitments to Protestantism, constituted government, and an expansive Britishness.
Using print culture, petitions, and local case studies, he traces how events like the Stamp Act crisis and the alliance with France transformed perceptions of loyalty and rebellion.
The book reframes the Revolution as a form of civil war among British subjects, showing how transatlantic connections and local circumstances influenced choices.
It highlights loyalists' ideology and actions, challenging older portrayals of them as mere cowards or opportunists.
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Mentioned by Liz Covart introducing the guest and his book as the subject of the conversation.
BFW Revisited: Loyalism in the British Atlantic World
