Loyalists in the American Revolution, by Professor Jack N. Rakove. This short video clarifies the role played by Loyalists throughout the American Revolution. Never more than 1/5 of the population, Loyalists’ political and military significance varied both chronologically and geographically. Professor Jack N. Rakove highlights the efforts of British forces in the Southern colonies to enlist Loyalists in hopes of “pacifying” the countryside, but concludes that there were too few Loyalists for this strategy to succeed. Professor Jack N. Rakove is the W.R. Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science at Stanford University. Professor Rakove was awarded the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book, "Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution." American History Videos are sponsored by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. These videos are offered to help teachers, students and the general public learn more about America's founding and the Constitution of the United States. www.jamesmadison.gov.