Why did some Americans oppose the American Revolution?
Not all Americans supported the break with Great Britain. Approximately one-fifth of Americans were Loyalists (sometimes called Tories, the name of the conservative party in British politics). Americans engaged in business, especially shipping, often thought that remaining in the British Empire had great economic advantages. Many Americans had only recently immigrated from Britain and still felt strong ties to their birthplace. Some of these recent immigrants were British soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763, and received land in upstate New York as payment for their service. Loyalists were especially strong in some coastal areas, in New York state, and along the Western frontier of the Southern colonies of Georgia and the Carolinas.
Most Americans were Patriots, who supported the Revolution. Patriots were strongest in Massachusetts and Virginia. These two colonies (now states) had been hotbeds of resistance against Great Britain and were home to many of the Revolution's leaders (including Sam Adams, John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.) Patriots were especially numerous and influential in Massachusetts and Virginia.