How do you persuade a loyalist to become a patriot?

Answer 1

During the American Revolutionary War, the British did most of the work of turning Loyalists into Patriots.

The City of Charleston, Massachusetts, across the harbor from Boston, was a Loyalist stronghold. The British Army burned the town and abused the women. The men who escaped joined the American Army and fought against the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Governor of New Hampshire had joined this. Thus by April of 1775, Massachusetts and New Hampshire opposed Great Britain.

The City of Norfolk, Virginia, was a Loyalist stronghold. The British Navy burned the town. The men who escaped joined the American Army. That turned Virginia against Great Britain on January 1, 1776.

Then the decree came down. In order to buy or sell anything, a person must have a permission slip in his hat band directly over his forehead or in his hand. Preachers made hay with that. It was "The Mark of the Beast" described in Revelation in the Bible. King George iii was the Antichrist. That turned the religious people against him. In 1776 the British lost the Religious people.

The people on the frontier were Loyalists. The British paid the Indians to fight for them. The Indians did not care which white people they killed. The frontiersmen changed sides. In 1776 the British lost the Frontiersmen.

Major Ferguson and Major Tarleton rode through Loyalist areas burning houses.

The religious people were Loyalists. In 1781, the British lost most of the remaining loyalists.

In 1783 General Greene had his army outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The British Army held the city with the navy anchored in the harbor. General Greene would not let the army send wagons into the countryside to purchase food. So the navy sailed to the sea islands and simply stole supplies. With that General Greene used the British Navy to destroy the last Loyalists in South Carolina.