Page "Conservatism in the United States" Paragraph 17

Thus the American Revolution disrupted the old networks of conservative elites.

The departure of so many royal officials, rich merchants and landed gentry destroyed the hierarchical networks that had dominated most of the colonies.

In New York, for example, the departure of key members of the DeLancy, DePester Walton, and Cruger families undercut the interlocking families that largely owned and controlled the Hudson Valley.

Likewise in Pennsylvania, the departure of powerful families — Penn, Allen, Chew, Shippen — destroyed the cohesion of the old upper class there.

New men became rich merchants but they shared a spirit of republican equality that replaced the elitism and the Americans never recreated such a powerful upper class.

One rich patriot in Boston noted in 1779 that " fellows who would have cleaned my shoes five years ago, have amassed fortunes and are riding in chariots.

" The great majority of Loyalists remained in America, and were loyal to the new republic.

For the most part, they avoided politics ; certainly they never tried to form a revanchist movement seeking a return to the Empire.

Loyalist Samuel Seabury, for example, abandoned politics but became the first Episcopalian bishop in the United States, rebuilding a church that appealed to families that still admired hierarchy, tradition, and historic liturgy, but had given up their allegiance to the king.