C. Loyalists.
Explanation:
The tension between the loyalists and the patriots was what caused the American Revolution. While the loyalists fought under the British crown, the patriots wanted to be free from Great Britain and their rulings.
The splitting of the colonies really started with the unfair occurrences that the British were putting on the colonists. The colonists were not free whatsoever, as they were being taxed without any representation in the British Parliament and also succumbed to numerous unfair laws and ideas. This started to anger the colonists and make them want to break free from English rule and become their own country. The people that supported this were called patriots.
On the other hand, there were some people that supported British rule. Some had British affairs and trading which was their source of income, which they wanted to keep. Some individuals were just too scared to stand up against the British and thought that the colonies would never win, so they sided with England. Finally, some just were very loyal to Great Britain and thought the trade and English rule was vital for the economy. The people that supported England were called loyalists.
