Even radical colonists initially sought loyalty to the Crown while breaking Parliament’s power.

Evidence

At the time, Paine reportedly had read and approved of the letters written by English reformer John Cartwright in 1774 and reprinted in the 1775 pamphlet American Independence, but these letters only advocated the independence of the separate colonies from Parliament, not from the monarchy. “His Majesty will be the gainer,” Cartwright wrote, “inasmuch as he will thereby receive fifteen independent kingdoms in exchange for as many dependent, and hardly dependent provinces, and become the father of three millions happy and free subjects, instead of reigning joint tyrant over so many discontented slaves.” Britain would retain sovereignty over these “independent” provinces and control their overseas trade while the colonists would secure their domestic rights as British subjects. Cartwright presented his proposal as a radical form of reconciliation rather than separation. It certainly did not reflect Paine’s later views on monarchy. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 61

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Supports the article on complaints/immodesty-‘Lex Oppia’? No. Better: connects to Grafting? No. Actually connects to the course theme of competing founder visions of freedom - noting that even ‘independence’ advocates like Cartwright framed the Crown as gainer, distinguishing levels of severance.
• QUESTION: Cartwright’s revealing metaphor counts colonists before independence as ‘discontented slaves’ of a joint tyrant - slavery language as constitutional rhetoric in the 1770s worth tracing.
• XREF: connects to: The 1766 Declaratory Act asserted Parliament’s unlimited authority over the colonies — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 35; In 1774 even radical colonies’ delegates endorsed reconciliation under parliamentary trade regulation. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 38; Redirecting grievances from Parliament to the king turned political protest revolutionary. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 204 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Redirecting grievances from Parliament to the king turned political protest revolutionary. #complicates (0.95) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 204
• Blaming the king rather than Parliament was a revolutionary act #complicates (0.95) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 167