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Which specific military battles were the Loyalists' most influential during the Revolutionary War? How did they affect the war off the...

Loyalists played a prominent role in a number of military campaigns during the course of the Revolutionary War, especially in the early years, when resistance to rebellion against the British Crown remained strong. As a category of colonialist sympathetic to the British Crown, and determined to remain united with England, Loyalists were present in virtually every region where the Patriots, the revolutionaries, sought to capture territory. No where was this more prevalent than in the territories around Quebec, Canada, where "the Battle of Quebec" at the end of 1775 involved large numbers of volunteers loyal to Britain. Loyalist resistance was instrumental, in fact, in Canada remaining Canada rather than becoming part of the United States.


If one wanted to focus on one particular battle in which Loyalists played a major role, albeit, an ultimately unsuccessful, one should examine the failed effort of British General John Burgoyne to defeat the Patriots in New York. The Battles of Oriskany and Saratoga in October 1777, involved British Army regulars augmented by a large contingent of Loyalists along with Iroquois Indians. Initially promising with the successful defeat of Revolutionary Army General Nicholas Herkimer at Oriskany, Burgoyne's luck would change drastically with his subsequent defeat in the Battle of Saratoga. 


Combined forces of Loyalists and Indians played major roles throughout New York and New England in the early years of the Revolutionary War. If one wanted to focus on just one or two campaigns, the Battles of Oriskany and Saratoga are good starting points. There are many additional examples that can be reviewed, including the Battle of King's Mountain in October 1780, which represented one of the most definitive defeats for the Loyalists and that set back very seriously British efforts at retaining the southern colonies. The South, as well know well, was extremely resistant to change, especially in the area of slavery, away from which the North was already beginning its transition. With the growth of abolitionist sentiments, British influence in the southern colonies declined, and with it the availability of Loyalists in that region.

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