Your turn: Historic facts can be brutal
Our history, beginning with the forming of our nation, proves we have always disagreed, and more often than not, those disagreements led to brutality.
The approaching anniversary of our nation’s birth, brings to mind, the “labor pains” experienced in the birthing of this nation.
The desire to form a new country, divided the populace into several factions. Learning further, the desire to get out from under a King, separated families as well.
The group of individuals, we, as a nation, have chosen to celebrate, are known as the Patriots. Another group, almost equal in size, had chosen to keep the status quo and support the King. This group was, and still is, referred to as the Loyalists.
Struggling with their pacifist principles, a third group, known as the Quakers, wrestled with these principles and their desire to protect and support the colony founded by William Penn.
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A very large group given little thought regarding the creation of this nation was the slave population. At the time, the slave population was approximately 500,000. Their numbers comprised about 20% of the total population of the 13 colonies.
During the American Revolutionary War, African American men and women, both enslaved and free, fought in theContinental Army.
While at the same time, many served as Black Loyalists. The term Black Loyalist refers to men who escaped the enslavement of their masters, serving on the Loyalist side, because of the Crown’s promise of freedom at the end of the fighting.
Many slave owners, had concerns, asking, “Would the slaves be willing to revert to their “prewar status” after fighting a war for independence and freedom from oppression?”
As a nation, we have chosen to cloak the American Revolution in glory and the principles of idealism. Saying, people united, rose-up and revolted against tyranny.
In regards to this thought, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams said, of revolutions, “One third of the people are Loyalist, one third are Patriots, and one third don’t give a damn.”
A writer by the name of Shelia L. Skemp, in her article entitled “My Son, My Enemy”, wrote about the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his son William. I quote: “In a life of so much accomplishment, Benjamin Franklin had his most devastating disappointment in his son William’s choice to remain loyal to the King during the American Revolution."
At the war’s end, Benjamin Franklin stated, “Nothing, has ever hurt me so much as to find myself deserted in my old age by my only son.”
Benjamin had chosen to reject his mother country, and his son chose to disobey his father. Benjamin never forgave William for what he considered disloyalty.
The Patriots, having decided to pursue freedom from England, were focused, determined and extraordinarily strong-willed and had no intention of accepting the thoughts of those who disagreed.
As righteous as the Patriots’ cause may have been, I ask, “Were our beloved Patriots right, as they fought for what they thought was right? While demanding the “Pacifistic Quakers”, as well as the “Loyalists”, either join their fight or suffer the consequences?”
The Patriots were prepared to make war against Britain. They were prepared to kill. They were prepared to fight and die for their beliefs, but were not willing to allow the Quakers to honor their beliefs and sit out.
Historians estimate 100,000 colonists left their “New World”, either by choice or force.
As we celebrate our 247th Birthday, we, as a nation, find ourselves struggling, as we continue to seek a way to be all inclusive, as is written in our Constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and thepursuit of Happiness.”
George B. Graham Jr. is an author, lifetime associate member of the Korean War Veterans Association, member of the Macon County Historical Society, Macon, Missouri, and member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Your turn: Historic facts can be brutal
