The minuteman were American settlers that were equipped to fight at a minutes notice, hence their name. the loyalists were American pioneers who continued loyal to Britain, hence their name. patriots were people struggling for freedom from England's taxation, they were residents of what was to become the United States.
Choice A and C have the most in common. A Patriot was someone who lived in the British colonies and supported an independent United States in the American Revolution. A Patriot might have served in the Continental Army, fighting the British for American Independence. A soldier in the Continental Army or associated militia was known as a minuteman.
