<P> Patriots represented the spectrum of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds . They included lawyers such as John Adams, students such as Alexander Hamilton, planters such as Thomas Jefferson and George Mason, merchants such as Alexander McDougall and John Hancock, and farmers such as Daniel Shays and Joseph Plumb Martin . They also included slaves and freemen such as Crispus Attucks, the first martyr of the American Revolution; James Armistead Lafayette, who served as a double agent for the Continental Army; and Jack Sisson, leader of the first successful black operation mission in American history under the command of Colonel William Barton, resulting in the capture of British General Richard Prescott . </P> <P> The critics of British rule called themselves "Whigs" after 1768, identifying with members of the British Whig party who favored similar colonial policies . In Britain at the time, the word "patriot" had a negative connotation and was used as a negative epithet for "a factious disturber of the government", according to Samuel Johnson . </P> <P> Prior to the Revolution, colonists who supported British authority called themselves Tories or royalists, identifying with the political philosophy of traditionalist conservatism dominant in Great Britain . During the Revolution, these persons became known primarily as Loyalists . Afterward, many emigrated north to the remaining British territories in Canada . There they called themselves the United Empire Loyalists . </P> <P> Many Patriots were active before 1775 in groups such as the Sons of Liberty, and the most prominent leaders are referred to today by Americans as the Founding Fathers . They represented a cross-section of the population of the Thirteen Colonies and came from many different backgrounds . According to Robert Calhoon, between 40 and 45 percent of the white population in the Thirteen Colonies supported the Patriots' cause, between 15 and 20 percent supported the Loyalists, and the remainder were neutral or kept a low profile . The great majority of the Loyalists remained in America, while the minority went to Canada, Britain, Florida, or the West Indies . </P>

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