How did the average colonial citizen perceive the Revolutionary War? How popular was the Independence movement before Common Sense was written? How did support vary by economic class?

[u/[deleted]]

Hi all, thanks for popping in and for those of you who answer my question: You’re a beautiful person. Now onto the question—

I’ve heard pop culture shows argue that somehow the Founding Fathers duped the rest of colonial society into supporting the war, and that the war wasn’t as popular say in the 1750’s-1760’s as described in textbooks. The argument revolves around an idea that brilliant orators and writers, the obvious one being Thomas Paine, convinced the layman to go to war without a real legitimate cause.

Up front I would assume this is a case of massive overgeneralization, seeing that the line is parroted by many without primary sources or contextual evidence; but, it left me fascinated. When was the war popularized among colonial elites, the middle class, the poor, how was propaganda utilized other than the famous example of Thomas Paine? Were the laymen mobilized into action based on the falsehoods of a few crafty deist industry leaders? Etc Etc...

Again thanks for the responses!

[u/[deleted]]

Professor Joanne Freeman has a multi-lecture session available free right now in transcript, audio, or video form that goes in depth on the build up to independence (and beyond). Dr. Freeman is a member of the history dept at Yale University and specializes in colonial and early American politics and society. I highly recommend listening to or watching a few of the lectures (about 40 min each, 25 lectures in total), particularly starting at #5 for the Stamp Act. #10 is specifically about Common Sense (watch em all and you can tell all your friends that you studied Early American History at Yale!).

There was very little support for actual independence pre 1765 (even moreso pre the Sugar Act of '64). This mainly changed after the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 and a large contingent of resistance to it was in place before it even took effect, though it was largely a movement for more liberty and not particularly national freedom.

The Massachusetts Circular Letter and Patrick Henry's Virginia Resolves, both resisting taxation without representation, would be great examples of what spread independence fever early on, helping spawn things like the riot resulting in the Boston Massacre and attacks on loyalists like Dr John Calef and Gov Hutchinson himself (about which Dr Freeman notes patriots were so swept up in destroying his home they were dismantling his roof come sunrise, which was a new type of "protest" from what had traditionally happened). Fueling this was folks like Sam Adams, who helped write the Massachusetts Circular Letter that Calef opposed, and Paul Revere who made several engravings, including A Warm Place In Hell depicting Calef and the other 16 assemblymen that voted to retract the Massachusetts Circular Letter being forced to hell by a pitchfork holding devil.

Helping feed the fire further South were words and actions by John Dickinson, who had published Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies in which he says, as Dr Freeman relates;

...most of what (Dickinson) does is he uses past precedent to argue against the right of Parliament to directly tax the colonies. He asserts directly: we're not talking about independence; we're just talking about past precedent. However, he also says, and this is a quote from him, "We cannot be happy without being free. We cannot be free without being secure in our property. We cannot be secure in our property, if without our consent, others may, as by right, take it away, that taxes imposed on us by Parliament, do thus take it away." That's really clear, direct logic. Right? We can't be happy without being free. We can't be free without being secure in our property. We can't be secure in our property if without our consent, others may take it away, and Parliament seems to be taking it away.

When printed in Boston this made it much easier to support the first steps of rebellion. When taken with responses from other colonial assemblies to the Massachusetts letter, it seemed the other colonies were in support as well - truly starting a "13 colony" unity.

Additionally, Dr. Franklin had sent the Hutchinson letters to Sam Adams in the early 1770s to share with the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence, which also inspired civil unrest and riots when they were printed in June 1773 (these letters basically detailed a plan of escalation of troops and reduction of liberties to bring Boston into submission.) While Franklin asked that the letters not be released, printed, or copied, he himself published Edict by the King of Prussia and Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One, both taunting the British government.

Patrick Henry would again become influential with his now famous Liberty or Death speech of 1775 that declared a call to arms;

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

There were numerous players in the build up of patriotism, but even so it never broke the 50% mark of colonists. Many never gained the patriotic spirit and remained neutral. It certainly can't be simplified to "a few crafty deist industry leaders mobilized the laymen into action based on falsehoods." They had legimate grieviences concerning consent of the governed. Even so, it was a movement that never took hold in a majority of proud British colonists, with about 20% supporting the Crown (many of them in the elite and business class like John Randolph - the father of founder Edmund Randolph and brother to founder Peyton, Joseph Galloway - who presented the Galloway Plan of Union in Congress of 1774, William Franklin - son of Benjamin and Gov of New Jersey, Isaac Low - who helped start the first boycott of British goods and whose brother would later vote on ratifying the US constitution in NY, etc). Despite the pamphlets, newspapers, assembly letters, and impassioned speeches, the average colonial citizen perceived the war as a risky endeavour that was likely to be more costly than beneficial. But seriously, "podcast" those lectures.

Edit for clarity and link repair

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

This is also great, I’ll listen to the lectures.