Good thread once again Paul Combs...I have done research on several of my ancestors (all New Englanders) who fought in the Revolution, a few in CT 5th, some in RI (Nathaniel Greene an uncle), some in NY, NJ, NH, one a prisoner "exchanged", a few VTers in Bennington battle., most farmers/Freemason...but whoops! One was indeed a Loyalist at Bennington (the Card family which somehow wasn't then banished to Canada). I suspect many families are similar, since popular opinion was said to be about 50/50 early in the war (until it looked like the rebels had a chance). In VT, I believe the "safety committees" (kind of Paul Revere-like things) were Freemason oriented British Americans while the Dutch settlers were firmly loyalist. It should be remembered that the Boston merchants sort of engineered this war for mercantilist gain, while inland farmers took more convincing (the Brits generally helped protect them from the Indians). The many Scots-Irish were probably reluctant until someone said "hey...we'll pay you to shoot Brits" and they replied "Oh feckin' yeah!" At some point, I believe the successes at places like Bennington, Trenton, and Saratoga (plus the perceived invasiveness and cruelties of the British) won many over to the Rebel cause. A good future subject may be Shay's Rebellion (which I'm too lazy to write), in which inland farmers who served were not paid, and some lands foreclosed upon by questionable "lawyers" (many of whom were the aforementioned Boston merchants). Understandably, these farmers felt betrayed and pissed (and yes, more of my ancestors were involved), until Pres. Washington managed to put down the rebellion (but only after deeding the farmers Indian land in NY State). Thus, the great pattern of US History, whereby the British and French lose, are forced to cede Native American land, which is deeded to the victorious citizens in the name of freedom and liberty (while the Native Americans go "who?", "what?") The British release of all lands West to the Mississippi River (as part of the 1783 Treaty of Paris by Lord Shelbourne, Adams, Jay, and Franklin) was the beginning of the end for Native Americans, as exemplified by the travails of Tecumseh.