Loyalists vs. Patriots and the American Revolution

Joyce Lee Malcolm, author of The Times That Try Men’s Souls: The Adams, the Quincys, and the Families Divided by the American Revolution—and How They Shaped a New Nation, and Eli Merritt, author of Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution, explore the origins and clashing ideologies during the American Revolution, how Loyalists and Patriots were divided, and how the differing opinions of both groups continue to shape our understanding of American identity. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Additional Resources

Eli Merritt, Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution

Joyce Lee Malcolm, The Times That Try Men's Souls: The Adams, the Quincys, and the Battle for Loyalty in the American Revolution

The Declaration of Independence

Eli Merrit, "Why demagogues were the Founding Fathers' greatest fear," LA Times


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Joyce Lee Malcolm, author of The Times That Try Men’s Souls: The Adams, the Quincys, and the Families Divided by the American Revolution—and How They Shaped a New Nation, and Eli Merritt, author of Disunion Among Ourselves: The Perilous Politics of the American Revolution, explore the origins and clashing ideologies during the American Revolution, how Loyalists and Patriots were divided, and how the differing opinions of both groups continue to shape our understanding of American identity. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Additional Resources



Stay Connected and Learn More

Continue the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.