Christopher Billop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christopher Billop - Essay Example Although Christopher was unwavering in his dedication to staying within the British Empire, it was a difficult choice to make and to abide by it during the Revolution. Before the start of the war, some Quakers were seized and jailed in Virginia because they were deemed to support the colonialists (Sabine 26). The Patriots, a group fighting the British, were not a lenient people since they regularly harassed the loyalists, took their property, and even harmed them. Christopher’s vehemence against patriots in the revolution made him a target of patriots’ anger; he was abducted and held for ransom two times. On June 1779, some patriots rowed from Perth Amboy and arrested Christopher; he was detained for two months. The next kidnap happened in November 1779 and held in a jail in New Jersey. Christopher was chained to the floor and given light food to survive with (Sabine 27). He was informed that his arrest was revenge for people arrested by the British. In the second arrest, he was again detained for two months and set free after Christmas. The arrests were supposed to send a message to the loyalists that their efforts to support the British Empire were unpopular amongst the patriots. Every American was supposed to support the revolution and kick out the British.