This historical text provides an analysis of the Tory and Loyalist factions in New Hampshire during the American Revolution. Author Otis Grant Hammond clarifies that while the term “Tory” became a derogatory synonym for traitor, many individuals remained loyal to the King due to religious convictions, professional oaths, or a desire for political stability. The source details the Association Test, a loyalty oath used to identify those willing to take up arms against Britain, and notes that many who refused were passive non-combatants rather than active enemies. Through specific biographies, such as those of Benjamin Thompson and Ranna Cossitt, the text illustrates how personal rivalries and religious identity often dictated one's standing in a climate of high political tension. Ultimately, Hammond argues that the treatment of these individuals resulted from the inevitable pressures of wartime, where the victors defined patriotism and the losers were branded as outcasts.
Tories of New Hampshire in the war of the revolution
Source
Hammond, Otis Grant, Tories of New Hampshire in the war of the revolution, Concord, N.H. : New Hampshire Historical Society, 1917.