Patriots Versus Loyalists: America’s First Civil War and the Making of a Nation
25 March 2027
11:00am-12:30pm
Online or Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online or Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Dates:
25 March 2027 - 22 April 2027
Study Format:
Online - live
Fees:
From £75.00 to £90.00
In 1775, the first shots were fired in the American War of Independence. But this wasn’t just a war between Great Britain and her colonies. It was America’s first civil war, pitching American-born British subjects against each other—some identifying as 'Patriots', others identifying as 'Loyalists'.
The war divided colonies, local communities, even families: in the most startling domestic rupture, Benjamin Franklin, one of the leading patriots, cut off all links with his once-beloved son William, who remained loyal to the British crown and who was forced into exile in England and never again saw the land of his birth.
This series of five lectures explores the complex and contentious background to the civil war, and the motivations of patriots and loyalists as they developed competing visions of America’s future; examines how patriots and loyalists waged war against each other over the course of the conflict; and looks at what happened to American loyalists after the Peace Treaty was signed in 1783: some went back to Britain, some went to build Canada, some Black loyalists went to Sierra Leone, and some stayed behind in the new, fragile Republic.
Finally, this series tracks Anglo-American relations to the War of 1812, sometimes called the 'Second War of Independence' and the last armed conflict between the two nations. History is so often told by the victors. These lectures put the experience of the vanquished back into the founding story of the fledgling United States.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 on 22 March 2027.
Book this course
You can opt to attend this teaching event either online (via a livestream) or in person at Rewley House, Oxford. You will be given the option of how you wish to attend during the enrolment process. You can only pick one option. If your preferred attendance format is fully booked, you can email us to be put on the waiting list. For those who wish to attend online, please read the IT requirements below before enrolling.
IT requirements
We will be using Zoom for the livestreaming of this lecture series, and you will be able to submit questions via the Zoom interface. Joining instructions will be sent out prior to the start date. We recommend that you join the session at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start time – just as you might arrive a bit early at our lecture theatre for an in-person event.
Please note that this series will not be recorded.
Recommended reading
Middlekauff, R., The Glorious Cause (Oxford University Press, revised edition, 2007)
Taylor, A., American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804 (W.W. Norton & Co, 2016)
Brands, H.W., Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution (Doubleday & Co, 2021)
Jasanoff, M, Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011)
Taylor, A, The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels & Indian Allies (Vintage, 2011)
Programme details
Lectures take place on Thursdays, 11:00-12:30 (GMT/BST). Please note that the first lecture will start at 11:00 GMT and all subsequent lectures will take place at 11:00 BST.
25 March
Patriots and Loyalists: The Battle for America’s Future
1 April
Fighting Each Other: The War of Independence as America’s First Civil War
8 April
After the War: American Loyalists in the British Empire
15 April
Making A Nation: Patriots and Loyalists in the Fragile Republic
22 April
The Unfinished Revolution: The War of 1812 as America’s Second War of Independence
How and when to watch
Each lecture will last approximately 1 hour, followed by questions.
For online attendees, please join in good time before each lecture to ensure that you have no connection problems. We recommend joining 10-15 minutes before the start time.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| In-person event fee (includes tea/coffee and a pastry) | £90.00 |
| Virtual event fee | £75.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Dr Simon Targett – Tutor
Dr Simon Targett is a writer, historian, and award-winning journalist. A former Associate Editor of the Financial Times, he is a Departmental Tutor for Oxford Lifelong Learning, where he teaches Anglo-American and media history. He is co-author of New World, Inc.: How England’s Merchants Founded America and Launched the British Empire (2018). He has a PhD in history from Cambridge University.
Module code: O26P109HIL
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us on events@conted.ox.ac.uk to obtain an application form.
You can opt to attend this teaching event either online (via a livestream) or in person at Rewley House, Oxford. You will be given the option of how you wish to attend during the enrolment process. You can only pick one option. If your preferred attendance format is fully booked, you can email us to be put on the waiting list. For those who wish to attend online, please read the IT requirements below before enrolling.
The Battle of Cowpens, painted by William Ranney in 1845.
