Quite a few Americans supported King George instead of the revolutionaries during the American Revolutionary War, actually, including many family members of the patriots.
For example, Benjamin Franklin’s son William sent the authorities secret reports on the activities of his father until he was caught and jailed.
Although opinion polls were not a staple of the 18th century, historians say that about a third of the Americans supported the British, about a third supported the American revolutionaries, and the rest just wished everybody would shut up and stop fighting.
We do know that more American residents joined the pro-British loyalist army than the anti-British continental army.
King George III called Benjamin Franklin “art evil genius”. Quite a fitting name we think.
