Patriots want to pursue the most radical tactics to combat British power, up to and including war and independence. Patriots barely constitute a majority of New York City's residents are certainly not a majority in the New York colony as a whole. There are wealthy men among the Patriots, but such organizations as the Sons of Liberty include men from all walks of life.
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by 
The Old Revolutionaries by 
Tom Paine and Revolutionary America by 
Loyalists believe that the colonial grievances do not warrant responses such as boycotts and violent resistance. They believe that separation from and war with England would be wrong and foolhardy. Loyalists are generally wealthier and more conservative than the Patriots. They are more fearful of mob violence threatening their property and their position in the existing social order than of British rule.
The Radicalism of the American Revolution by 
