The colonists were sharply divided on the question of independence. For many it was a bitter civil war, pitting neighbor against neighbor, race against race and poor against rich. Waged by an agricultural society against the most well-trained military of the western world, the Revolution was a brutal home-front war.
An eight-year war, beginning before the Declaration of Independence was signed and continuing after peace was declared, leaving widows and disabled veterans and much undone. It began with protests against taxation and fear that the Parliament and the King would enslave them. British goods were boycotted. Normal life was disrupted.
Britain's victory in the French and Indian Wars brought on a wave of nationalism that was quickly replaced with anger and suspician. Colonists celebrated an end to a century of war and Indian raids on their borders.
In 1763 Parliament proclaimed territory west of the Appalachians off limits until an Indian policy could be developed. In 1764 New England merchants grew angry with Britain's American Revenue Act which was a crackdown on the merchants' profitable smuggling of foreign sugar. In 1765 the Stamp Act required government issued stamps placed on all legal documents and newspapers and playing cards and dice. This infuriated nearly everyone. English merchants saw their sales plummet because of the boycott. In 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed.
England was in financial straits after heavily borrowing to wage its war against France. In 1767, Charles Townshend, the British Chancellor, tried to expand export duties to include British made goods. Opposition from the colonists began again.
King George III ordered the arrest of Samuel Adams and John Hancock in 1775. The war had officially begun, bringing problems of inflation, physical violence and shortages of goods to the doorsteps of the colonists. The military power of the mother country was now aimed at them and spreading rapidly.
Most of the major Indian tribes of the borderlands thought that an alliance with the British held out the greatest hope of protecting their lands and trade with the colonists.
English and French governments had courted the Indian tribes since the 17th century. They hoped that alliances with them would tip the balance of power in favor of their own imperial ambitions. The Indians used these rivalries to gain advantages in trade and secure their territory. This power to play the English against the French began to vanish in the 1760's. The victory of the English in the French and Indian War left the Indians with no alternative but to negotiate with the English.
In 1774 the Six Nations of the Iroquois met and agreed to remain at peace with both the English and the colonists. However the British pressed for a committment of men and supplies from the Indians. By 1778 the unity of the Iroquois Six Nations was shattered with some on the side of the British and some on the side of the colonists. A great dislike of colonial expansion fueled their decisions.
The military took grain, cattle, and other supplies and looted and destroyed homes. Both British and patriot forces committed acts of brutality on women and children.
An upstart force of volunteers and self-taught officers were winning their independence over a once great and confident army.
Comment: There are 12 Morelands listed in the Patriot Index of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I know there are more Morelands who served but haven't been proven yet. The following are listed in DAR, with birth date and place, place of service and spouse:
Andrew 1750 Ireland PA Died 1802 Moved to Amherst Co., VA.
Dudly 1761 VA VA Died 1839 KY Elizabeth
James Born At Sea served NH Died 1820 Susannah Smith
John 1752 VA VA Died after 1820 probably OH Catherine
John 1758 VA VA Died after 1827 GA Mary Tucker
Joseph 1744 served VA Died after 1789 NC
Samuel 1751 MD MD Died 1817 MDSarah Notley
Thomas 1764 PA PA Died 1846 Michigan Leah Van Campen
William 1748 MD PA Died 1830 PA Agnes Huston
William bef. 1735 Eng. PA Died 1810 PA Mary
William 1761 VA VA Died after 1812 TN Sarah
William 1750 MD MD Died 1822 VA Mary Hayes *NEWLY ACCEPTED MARCH 6., 2006!
Charles 1764 VA VA Susan Hancock NEWLY ACCEPTED OCTOBER, 2008!
Frances 1722 VA died 1792 Green Co., VA NEWLY ACCEPTED
26 others not on DAR patriot index:
Patrick 1734 MD MD Mary
John 1736 MD MD Michel
Zachariah 1743 MD MD Mary
James 1755 MD MD Catherine Montgomery
Samuel 1759 MD MD
Stephen 1745 MD MD
Walter 1748 MD MD Tabitha Dent
Jacob 1760 MD MD Celia
Nathaniel public service York Co., VA
Elizabeth public service Surry Co. VA
Wright public service Goochland Co. VA
Thomas public service Culpeper Co. VA
John public service Cumberland Co., VA
Joseph public service Dinwiddie Co. VA
Francis public service Dinwiddie Co. VA
Robert public service Dinwiddie Co. VA
William 1766 NH NH Elizabeth Newell
James served NH
Absalom served NC
Bartlett served NC
John served SC
William served PA Hannah Noble
Andrew served PA
Hugh served PA
Moses 1758 PA PA
WAR OF 1812 MORELAND VETERANS
Alexander Moreland 135 Reg. [Christy's] PA Militia Private
Alexander Morland 19th Reg [Amber's] VA Militia Private
Bungoime Morland 55 Reg VA Militia Private
Colston Moreland 1 Reg [Harris] Georgia Militia Private
Daniel Moreland 4 Reg [Jones] GA Militia Private
David Moreland 5 Reg [Fenton's] PA Militia Captain
David Moreland 114 Reg [Poston's] VA Militia Private
Dorah Moreland 57th Reg VA Militia Private
Dorey Moreland 56 Reg [Taylor's] VA Militia Private
Edward Moreland 1 Reg. [Clark's] VA Militia Private
Edward Moreland 35th Reg [Brown's] MD Militia Private
Edward Moreland 68th Reg. VA Militia Private
Elias Moreland 17th Reg [Beall's] Maryland Militia Private
Francis Moreland 3 Reg [Wimberly's] GA Militia Private
Francis Morland Col. McCobb's Reg US Volunteers Private
George Moreland 114 Reg [ Poston's] VA Militia Private
Gustauvus Moreland 2 Reg [Brent's] District of Columbia Miltia Private
Hanson Moreland 1 Reg District of Columbia Militia Corporal
Henry Moreland 43 Reg [Hamilton's] MD Militia Private
Henry H. Moreland 1 Reg [Hawkin's] Maryland Militia Private
Henson Moreland Captain McGuire's Co., DC Volunteers Private
Horatio Moreland 43 Reg MD Militia Private
Horatio Moreland 57 Reg VA Militia Private
Isaac Moreland 5 Batt'n [Nelson's] PA Militia Private
Isaac Moreland 135 Reg [Christy's] PA Militia Drummer
Jacob Moreland 1 Reg [Harris'] GA Militia Private
James Moreland 1 Reg [Ferree's] PA Militia Corporal
James Moreland 1 Reg [Hawkin's] Maryland Militia Private
James Morland Russell's Reg Art'y MA Mil. Driver
James Morland 1 Reg [Trotter Jr.'s] Mounted, KY Vols. Corporal
James A. Morland 17 Reg [Beal's] Maryland Militia Private
James D. Moreland 2 Reg Artillery, VA Militia Private
James D. Moreland 4 Reg [Wood's] VA Militia Private
Jeremiah Moreland Captain McGuire's Co., DC Volunteers Private
Jeremiah Moreland 2 Reg [Brent's] District of Columbia Miltia Private
John Moreland Lanier's Indpt. Battalion OH Militia Private
John Moreland 1 Reg [Cutter's] MA Militia Private
John Moreland 1 Battalion US Volunteers Sergeant
John Moreland 3 Reg [Qimerly's] GA Militia Private
John Moreland 5 Batt'n [Nelson's] PA Militia Private
John Moreland 115 Reg [Howard's] VA Militia Sergeant
John Moreland 135 Reg [Christy's] PA Militia Private
John A. Moreland 17 Reg [Beal's] Maryland Militia Private
John R. Moreland Governor Shelby & Staff, KY Volunteers Chaplain
Joseph Moreland 3 Reg [Wimberly's] GA Militia Corporal
Joseph T. Moreland Brodnax's Detachment, GA Militia Corporal
Leadstone S. Moreland 43 Reg [Hamilton's] MD Militia Sergeant
Levin Moreland 1 Reg District of Columbia Militia Captain
Lewis Morland 4 Reg Maryland Militia Private
Mathew Moreland 43 Reg MD Militia Private
Nicolas Moreland 6 Reg VA Militia Private
Phili Moreland 57 Reg VA Militia Private
Philip Moreland 56 Reg. [Taylor's] VA Militia Private
Richard Moreland 3 Reg [ Miller's] KY Militia Private
Richard Moreland 51 Reg VA Militia Private
Richard Moreland 59 Reg [Riddick Jr.'s] VA Militia Private
Robert Moreland Wootton's Detachment GA Militia Private
Robert Moreland 2 Reg [Patterson's] PA Militia Private
Robert Moreland 19 Reg [Ambler's] VA Militia Corporal
Robert Morland Capt. Skillings Co., Art'y, Sea Fencibles MA Private
Samuel Moreland Russell's Reg Art'y MA Mil. Private
Samuel Moreland 17 Reg [Beal's] Maryland Militia Private
Sylvester Moreland 17 Reg [Beal's] Maryland Militia Private
Theodore Moreland 43 Reg [Hamilton's] MD Militia Private
Thomas Moreland 1 Reg OH Militia Private
Thomas Moreland 3 Reg [Wimberly's] GA Militia Private
Tuttle H. Moreland Mcintosh's Division GA Militia A Forage
Willia Moreland 36 Reg [Renno's] VA Militia Private
William Moreland Capt. Dawson's Mounted Co. OH Vols. Private
William Moreland Findlay's Battalion PA Vol. Private
William Moreland 1 Reg [Yancy's] VA Militia 3 Lt.
William Moreland Batt'n 7 Reg [Perkins'] Mississippi Mil. Private
Willie Moreland Capt Trousdale's Co., IL Militia Private
William Moreland Jr. 3 Reg't [Johnson's E. TN Militia Private
William Moreland Sr. 3 Reg't [Johnson's E. TN Militia Private
Life in the Colonies
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