Suffering for the Crown: The Hudson Valley Loyalists, Violence, and Forced Migration in Revolutionary North America
Open AccessThis dissertation examines the Hudson Valley Loyalists to study the effects of violence on Loyalist communities during and after the American Revolution. The Hudson Valley was one of the most violent regions of the Revolutionary War. Threatened by British forces from almost every direction, it came under tremendous wartime pressure. Patriots feared that a British attack in conjunction with Loyalist resistance would fatally undermine the Revolution. To quell any threat, Revolutionaries cracked down stringently on all suspected political enemies. They imprisoned some, forced others to flee, and terrorized more into submission. As the war continued, each side retaliated against the other for perceived offenses, escalating violence. Women, Indians, and enslaved Blacks were all caught up in the struggle. Some enslaved men and women ran to the British in hopes of gaining freedom, while several Indigenous tribes formed an essential part of the crown war effort in the Hudson Valley. The war’s violence shaped identities and communities. To distinguish themselves from Loyalists, Patriots depicted crown supporters as innately violent savages. They described Loyalists in demonizing language to justify violence against anyone who opposed the Revolution. Loyalists endured severe persecution, and this experience shaped how they saw themselves. Loyalists adopted a collective identity that centered around “suffering.” For the rest of their lives, they stressed their wartime suffering and sacrifice on behalf of the crown. As the war broke apart their communities and families, Loyalists came to recognize the value of social networks. They used their social web to survive the conflict’s upheaval. The effects of violence remained important after the war, shaping Loyalist reintegration and society more broadly. The perceived behavior of individual Loyalists was central to post-war reintegration. Loyalists who had been less violent reentered society faster and easier than militant Loyalists. The memory of wartime violence remained with former Patriots and Loyalists until the end of their lives. Although most Loyalists chose to remain in the United States, a substantial minority left their homes forever, with most resettling in British North America. Community migration was pivotal to the exile of the Hudson Valley Loyalists. They traveled in groups, settled together, and relied on each for support during hard times. After enduring early difficulties, these community support networks, that had been so critical during the war, helped them thrive. The Hudson Valley Loyalist exile also created a web of North American connections. Despite the war splitting family and friends, they remained in touch across North America and frequently visited one another. Although many white Loyalists prospered in the long run, Black Loyalists and British-allied Indians did not fare as well. Both faced racial discrimination. African Americans were relegated to second-class subjects and refused many basic rights. The Indians who relocated to British North America wanted to preserve their autonomy, but regularly clashed with British authorities who sought to make them subservient to the crown. Violence during the Revolutionary War transformed identities, societies, social relations, and collective memory.
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