Loyalist- Were loyal to the King of England. Supported staying part of England and did not want to go to war with England.
Patriots- Wanted to be free of the King of England. Some wanted to go to war with England.
Most people in the colonies were patriots near the time of the American Revolution. The Patriots outnumbered the Loyalist. Loyalist bought goods from England. Patriots only used American produced goods. The Loyalist were also considered to be traitors by many Patriots. This is why the Loyalist were treated harshly by the Patriots.
