Essay #2 Rough Draft- Loyalist from New York

Rough Draft
Essay 2

----As I, a loyal citizen to my fellow partners of Great Britain, walk along the streets of New York, I realize why so many people from other colonies are drawn here. It is beautiful and has great things to offer. Our many trading posts make it easy for anyone to make a living. I just wish we didn’t have to part from our friends in Britain. We loyalists are outnumbered by patriots, and as of now the patriots have the attention of the British. Those patriots are so stubborn and full of themselves. They went behind our backs and wrote letters and pleas to other colonies and even to Europe. On May 13th, 1774 the patriots of Boston sent a letter to some of the patriots here in New York asking for help and stating how Britain had been “cruel and unjust” and they requested assistance in becoming detached. The New York Committee was unable to be of any help. But this certainly did not stop those ruffians from pursuing their dream of independence. I believe that the British have been an absolute wonder in helping our 13 colonies become established. How else would Britain or any colonies gain success? The patriots do not understand that taxes must be imposed upon anyone living in the colonies.

----One man whom I am ever so angry with is that foolish writer, Patrick Henry. If it weren’t for him, I don’t believe this whole “revolution” would have even begun in the first place. He and that Thomas Paine insist that no taxes be imposed upon anyone living in the colonies. How do they think that Britain will survive without us? Or us without them? I do not see what is so wrong about paying taxes if we are getting freedom in return. I don’t think that freedom is exactly a life or death situation. But according to Patrick Henry, who would rather have death over captivity and taxes, he and many others believe that being secluded from Britain will actually make them successful.

---- If Patrick Henry was so faithful to God then why did he insist in his document Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death that “[…] we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!”? I don’t think that God intended us to fight over what we want. War only leads to death, and we are not to kill our neighbors! This is the biggest reason as to why I choose to remain loyal to the crown. I do not believe in war, and I do not want my children growing up thinking that it is okay to go out and kill people just to get attention or to get what you want. We don’t want to damage our trade with Great Britain. In my opinion, this is all that war will do for us, besides make us very unhappy.

----After the signing of The Declaration of Independence in 1776, 547 loyalists in New York, including myself, signed and circulated “A Declaration of Dependence” to stay connected with Britain. We thought it was a good idea at the time, until we realized, again, how outnumbered we really were.