The Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford, where colonists fought on opposing sides, shows that the Revolutionary War was, in many ways, a civil war, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY. 

The 1777 battle was the largest and longest land battle of the Revolutionary War, and marked a major defeat for Gen. George Washington, which made way for the British army to occupy Philadelphia. 

Yet at the time, many Americans viewed it as a great victory. Around 500 colonists fought alongside the British as loyalists, firing on their countrymen, many of whom were their neighbors. 

Independence was not a universally desired outcome. It divided both towns and families, with roughly a third of colonists siding with the patriots, a third with the king, and a third attempting to remain neutral. 

“A lot of people who had problems with the British government did not wish to break away from that government,” said historian Todd Braisted. “They wished for what they referred to as ‘redress of grievances.’ They wanted to stand up for their rights as Englishmen, not break away from the empire.” 

Read more about the Battle of Brandywine and its significance in American history in WHYY. 

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