Colonial loyalists believed that the British constitution was more likely to protect colonial rights and liberties than the American revolutionary leadership.
The colonists who favored independence from Great Britain were called Patriots. Those who wished to remain tied to Great Britain as Colonies were called Loyalists. Americans who embraced both beliefs and could not choose a side were called Neutrals. Colonists had various reasons for whichever side that they chose.
Loyalists wanted to pursue peaceful forms of protest because they believed that violence would give rise to mob rule or tyranny. They also believed that independence would mean the loss of economic benefits derived from membership in the British mercantile system.
