Republicanism is one system of political ideas followed by the government and people. Colonial political elites had similar beliefs to other republics and Enlightenment thinkers; such as, that all political power is obtained from the common people, the government runs by the citizens agreeing on decisions so that everyone in the society is satisfied, and the key to surviving in a republic is the ethics and integrity of the citizens. The Ancient Roman republic had great influence over the way that Republicanism is portrayed and understood today. Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian Renaissance historian and philosopher, had powerful impact on influencing others on how a successful republic should be operated, although in a deceitful way. Thomas Hobbes,…show more content… The two completely different forms of republicanism fought for leading power in New York City in 1775. Both fought that their views were what was in the best interest of the general population. Loyalists believed that a large government, a standing army and navy, as well as having a working overseas trade communication, was in the best interest for society. By trading overseas, the Loyalists would gain profit which in return would be beneficial to the overall population. Loyalists also did not agree with constitutional monarchy but they did see benefits of encouraging British rule. Loyalists could keep their national identity as British as opposed to getting it taken away; loyalists were highly loyal to the British government because they knew how dominant England was and were frightened by the amount of power they held. On the other hand, Patriots did not have much faith in a centralized government and believed in the population having rights that the government could not seize. With that being said, they followed John Locke with his idea that a government should form in a natural way. Patriots believed that social equality was possible and would end up being what is best for the…show more content… Many Patriots were middle and lower-class colonists that believed that gaining independence from Britain was the way to go. When a huge change occurs, there is always a chance for something to go inevitably wrong. In straying away from British rule, Patriots were chancing the possibility of losing numerous colonists, and that they did. It is estimated that around 50,000 colonists were killed during the American Revolutionary War. Being that middle and lower-class colonists would be the ones recruited to fight as soldiers, the Patriots had to take a gamble somehow to fight for their rights.
A common man would want to fight a rich man’s war because they want to stand up for what is right in his own mind. The Patriot’s had undeniably powerful ideas that they were not willing to back down from. If a middle or lower-class colonist performed exceptionally well in war, their rank could raise, they could obtain more money, and their social standing would ascend. Those of elite social status were the ones making the decisions of the war, therefore there was little option for the lower-class colonists, such as farmers and merchants, other than to participate to fight for their