Loyalists believed the British government protected their rights, but patriots disagreed. The patriots believed that obeying the british would undermine the potential that they could achieve. Meanwhile, most people who became a loyalists are the one that personally profited from british's rule.
The Crusades & the Inventing of the printing press. Additionally, the population losses sustained in Europe.
The meaning of this quote "A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say; we did it ourselves" means if the leader is unknown to many people once he has finished or achieved a remarkable goal other people (such as Laozi) can steal the glory and be remembered for something they didn't do.
The bloody massacre in king street