As the dust settles on the Iowa Caucuses, the State of the Union Address, and the Senate’s acquittal of the President, some members of the American Resistance have been openly wondering in the social media whether the United Kingdom would “have them back” (even after Brexit?). I’ve been wanting to write about the Loyalists of the late 18th Century for some time, so this provides me an opportunity.
Born and raised in New York, the epicenter of Loyalism during the American Revolution, I’ve always been intrigued by what it took to be among the 500,000 or so colonists who were opposed to independence from the British Crown. Of that number, which is an educated guess at best, some 80,000 or so Americans felt strongly enough following the Treaty of Paris to pack up and leave – in many cases, the only country they had ever known. Most set sail for the Canadian provinces or the British Caribbean, and some returned to England. They did so even though they were compelled to forfeit much of their wealth and privilege. Why did they do this?
Although it’s always hard to make comparisons over a span of more than two centuries, some things haven’t changed very much. The most vocal members of today’s Resistance are similar in many respects to the Loyalists we read about in American History. Then as now, both of these groups saw society as something that is oriented hierarchically – even though today the Resistance says it values diversity above all things. The Loyalists of old were educated, wealthy, older and typically Anglican. They had no real gripe with an imperialistic monarchy so long as their personal status was preserved. Rebellion against the Crown was unthinkable even though they recognized that the colonies would eventually become independent. To ensure the domestic tranquility, Loyalists saw no need for a right to arms, no problem with the Crown quartering soldiers in private homes, and no need for freedom of speech or the press. In short, both Loyalists and today’s Resistance may be described as “elitists” who looked askance at those who championed individual liberties.
The other similarity I see in both Loyalists and today’s Resistance is a fundamental pessimism that causes them to reach similar conclusions about the nature of society. Without an authoritarian state to manage the affairs of common people, it was and continues to be feared that humankind will ultimately destroy itself. Because they believe most people can’t be trusted to do what is best for the common good, Loyalists and Resistors reject the principles of classical liberalism.
As I said above, the epicenter of such thinking was in and around New York City, which remained under British domination for much of the Revolutionary War. In some respects, the City has never stopped being subject to foreign powers. It’s the home of the United Nations, has the greatest concentration of global wealth, and effectively serves as the world’s media capital. So, it makes sense that today’s Resistance would feel relatively comfortable there.
If the “unthinkable” happens again in November of this year, and Donald Trump gets re-elected, be prepared to see those trans-Atlantic ships filling up again in New York Harbor (or at least there will be long lines at Kennedy International) when a number of Americans make good on their promise to go back to their ancestral homes. If they don’t already have their immigration papers in order, I’d strongly recommend that they get started now. It took me almost 3 years to get my dual citizenship (although I doubt I’ll have any reason to use mine).
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