How did the American Revolution function as a civil war?

In some ways, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war. British citizens were pitted against British citizens. There were people, called loyalists, who believed we should stay with Great Britain. These people felt the British government was justified in its actions. They also felt that there might be chaos if we broke away from the British. In some cases, people depended on the British for their jobs. If the British left, they would...

In some ways, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war. British citizens were pitted against British citizens. There were people, called loyalists, who believed we should stay with Great Britain. These people felt the British government was justified in its actions. They also felt that there might be chaos if we broke away from the British. In some cases, people depended on the British for their jobs. If the British left, they would lose their jobs. The Patriots supported breaking from Great Britain. They believed that the British were violating our rights and not treating us fairly. There were many instances where the loyalists were harassed for supporting the British. At times, loyalists faced violence or angry mobs because of their support of the British government.

In some cases, the Revolutionary War split family members. There were times when family members fought on opposite sides of the conflict. In some cases, brothers fought against brothers, such as the Goforth brothers at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Benjamin Franklin’s son supported the British and was basically disowned by his father.

Finally, the Revolutionary War can be viewed as a civil war because the British colonists were fighting against the British government. The colonists felt they no longer could support Great Britain and be ruled by them. Thus, they fought for their independence.