Dishonoured Americans: Loyalist Manhood and Political Death in Revolutionary America
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 3-27-2015 12:00 AM Dishonoured Americans: Loyalist Manhood and Political Death in Revolutionary America Timothy J. Compeau The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Nancy L. Rhoden The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Timothy J. Compeau 2015 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Cultural History Commons Recommended Citation Compeau, Timothy J., "Dishonoured Americans: Loyalist Manhood and Political Death in Revolutionary America" (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 2712. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/2712 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact wlswadmin@uwo.ca. DISHONOURED AMERICANS: LOYALIST MANHOOD AND POLITICAL DEATH IN REVOLUTIONARY NORTH AMERICA (Spine Title: Dishonoured Americans) (Thesis format: Monograph) by Timothy J. Compeau Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Timothy J. Compeau, 2015 Abstract and Keywords The loyalists of the American Revolution have never been explored from the perspective of honour and masculinity. This dissertation offers a new reading of the loyalist experience by drawing on the insights and methodologies of cultural history and the anthropological study of honour, as well as the history of masculinity, to contextualize the class and gender-based concerns embedded in patriot and loyalist written records. American revolutionaries attacked loyalist men using deeply gendered language and symbols, and succeeded in dishonouring loyalism in general, while also driving individual loyalists from their communities. Male loyalists relied on the same culture of honour to rationalize their experiences, justify their continued allegiance to the Crown, and transform injuries intended as marks of shame into badges of honour. This dissertation adds to the historiography of the loyalists, and to the wider study of eighteenth century masculinity and honour, by revealing that while the American Revolution was a deadly conflict, at the local level patriots often destroyed a loyalist’s public existence and honour rather than kill him outright. Despite differences of political ideology, loyalists and patriots shared a common culture of manhood which made insults and humiliations exceedingly powerful. The combination of legal punishments and social ostracism is referred to in this dissertation as political death, an original theory which describes the process and consequences of the loss of citizenship, the negation of patriarchal power and privileges, financial ruin, and the cultural dishonour of white loyalist gentlemen and their families. Using the themes of household patriarchy, public and printed insults, captivity, and vengeance, this study explains how the benchmarks of manhood were systematically stripped from loyalists, and how the patriots formed their own masculine ideals in contrast to the dishonoured loyalists. This dissertation also reveals the importance of honour in the loyalists’ self-perception, their official claims on the British government for compensation, and their political rebirth in Canada as they attempted to restore their privileged status with Britain’s help. Loyalist honour has been described by American historians as being submissive and deferential, but this ii dissertation argues that it was in fact as assertive and demanding as the patriot concepts of manhood formed in the American Revolution. Key Words: American Revolution, Loyalists, honour, dishonour, gender, gentility, manhood, masculinity, culture, Revolutionary War, prisoners of war, insults, revenge, Pre-Confederation Canada. Acknowledgements I could not have asked for a better mentor than my supervisor Nancy L. Rhoden. I was continually amazed by her ability to read through multiple drafts and provide extensive and invaluable feedback while juggling a myriad of other demands on her time. Professor Rhoden’s insightful criticisms and suggestions improved my work substantially, and her guidance throughout the entire process was always encouraging. I cannot overstate how grateful I am for her kindness, patience, and support throughout this project. I received important financial assistance from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Graduate Scholarships, and The University of Western Ontario. I would also like to thank the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada for their financial assistance, and in particular Bernice Flett, Doug Grant, Fred Heyward, June Klassen, Robert Tordiff, and Bonnie Schepers. The receptive audiences at numerous UEL talks reminded me that the history of the loyalists is still very much alive for many of their descendants. I benefitted from the enthusiastic help of many archivists who generously shared their expertise and their collections with me. Linda Hocking and the staff of the Litchfield Historical Society were very welcoming and encouraging in the early stages of this project. I would also like to thank Tom Lannon at the New York Public Library, Ted O’Reilly and the staff at the New York Historical Society, Diana McCain at the Connecticut Historical Society, Christine Jack at the Harriet Irving Library, University of New Brunswick, and Paul Banfield of Queen’s University Archives. In many ways this project began long ago when I was a summer student working at the museum in Gananoque, Ontario and stumbled upon some undocumented records of the town’s loyalist founder. Director Linda Mainse, Marcia Macrae, and the board of the Arthur Child Heritage Museum of the 1000 Islands in Gananoque have always kept a door open for me to visit, share my work, and continue exploring those letters and the history of the area ever since. I am grateful for their enthusiast support over the years. I am also grateful for the help, advice, and opportunities provided by Professors Robert MacDougall, Kevin Kee, William J. Turkel, Jane Errington, Nina Reid-Maroney, iv Laurel Shire, Bryce Traister, Robert A. Wardhaugh, Amy Bell, Geoff Read, and James Côté. Additionally, many friends and colleagues in and around the History Department at UWO have been a vital resource for testing out ideas or forgetting about work entirely for a little while, including Nicolas Virtue, Dorotea Gucciardo, Marilla McCargar, Oliver Charbonneau, Paris McCargar-Olivier, Brandon Dimmel, Devon Elliot, Chris Schultz, and Bill Couchie. Perhaps most importantly, I have to acknowledge the ever-present support and encouragement of my parents, Keith and Patricia Compeau. In many ways this thesis is the result of family trips along the east coast of the United States which included visits, (at my insistence), to all the key places of early American history from Boston to Yorktown. This thesis could perhaps serve as an example (or a warning) of what can happen when parents indulge their child’s interests. For that and providing everything a young historian needed, thank you. “A Man’s honour is his political life; and the moment he sacrifices it, he dies a political death – he is no longer a useful member of the community, but is truly a burden to society.” Spooner’s Vermont Journal, June 7, 1785. Table of Contents Abstract and Keywords ....................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii 1. Political Death ................................................................................................................. 1 2. Honour and Dishonour .................................................................................................. 32 3. Insult ............................................................................................................................. 92 4. Captivity ...................................................................................................................... 132 5. Vengeance ................................................................................................................... 191 6. Political Rebirth .......................................................................................................... 247 Defeat ........................................................................................................ 266 Claims ........................................................................................................ 292 Patriarchs ................................................................................................... 314 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 337 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 348 Curriculum Vitae ...........................................................................................................