A south east view of the great town of Boston in New England in America.

In North America, the term loyalist characterised colonists who rejected the American Revolution in favour of remaining within the British Empire. American loyalists included royal officials, Anglican clergymen, wealthy merchants with ties to London, demobilised British soldiers, and recent arrivals (especially from Scotland), as well as many ordinary colonists who were conservative by nature and/or felt that the protection of Britain was needed. Colonists with loyalist sympathies accounted for an estimated 15% to 20% of the white colonial population of the day, compared with those described as "Patriots", who accounted for about 40-50% of the population. This high level of political polarisation leads historians to argue that the American Revolution was as much a civil war as it was a war of independence from the British Crown.

In the pre-k and kindergarten, students begin to understand the foundations of the social studies strands; history, geography, civics, citizenship, and economics. History Literacy: The student will understand that history relates to events and people of other times and places. Students recognize that commemorative holidays honor people and events of the past including Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Washington’s Birthday, and Independence Day. Students identify important American symbols and explain their meanings including United States Flag, the Bald Eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell. Students use words and phrases related to chronology and time to explain how things change including before/after and today/tomorrow/yesterday.