Unnatural Rebellion: Loyalists in New York City during the Revolution — Ruma Chopra

Thousands of American colonists rejected independence, denouncing the rebellion as unlawful and unnatural while affirming their ties of kinship, language, and faith with Britain. They believed British military power would defeat a minority uprising and allow the colonies to renegotiate their place within the empire.

Chopra traces how diverse loyalists converged on British‑occupied New York City to pursue this vision of reunion. Though scorned by rebels and constrained by martial law, they adapted their politics to sustain loyalty—never imagining that allegiance to Britain would result in permanent exile. These themes are also explored in the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution.

• University of Virginia Press.
• 304 pages.
• 1.26 pounds.
• 6.5 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches.
• Part of series: Jeffersonian America.