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Associators were members of 17th- and 18th-century volunteer military associations in the British American thirteen colonies and British Colony of Canada. These were more commonly known as Maryland Protestant, Pennsylvania, and American Patriot and British Loyalist colonial
Thomas Vernon, ''he diary of Thomas Vernon, a loyalist, banished from Newport by the Rhode Island general assembly in 1776''. Providence, R.I.: S. S. Rider, 1881.
/ref> (also known as the Loyal Newport Volunteers) ( Newport) (1777–1779)
List of British Loyalist Associators - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
* ttps://www.facebook.com/The-Pennsylvania-Associators-1747-1777-359518067391816/The Pennsylvania Associators, 1747-1777 - (Facebook)
List of British Loyalist Associators - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
{{John Dickinson Loyalist military units in the American Revolution United States military associations
Associators were members of 17th- and 18th-century volunteer military associations in the British American thirteen colonies and British Colony of Canada. These were more commonly known as Maryland Protestant, Pennsylvania, and American Patriot and British Loyalist colonial militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
s. But unlike militias, the associator military volunteers were exempt from regular mandatory military service. Other names used to describe associators were " Associations", "Associated", "Refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
", "Volunteers", and " Partisans".
The term "Non-Associators" was applied to American colonists who refused to support and sign "military association" charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
s. They were not affiliated with associators, or would choose instead, to pay a fine and suffer possible retaliation. During the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, some associator units were said to operate more like, or were in fact loose-knit criminal gangs, taking advantage of the disruption of warfare.
The present-day U.S. Army 111th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division is nicknamed the "Associators", helping to preserve the volunteer associators' ancestral legacy in Pennsylvania.
Maryland Protestant Associators
Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Associators
DuringKing George's War
King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in ...
, Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
, in 1747, wrote and published the pamphlet, "Plain Truth", calling for a voluntary association
A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteers, to form a body (or organization) to a ...
to defend Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. This was in line with his earlier formation of volunteer fire-companies. This organization was formed and approved by the council and the officers would be commissioned by the Council President.Newland, Samuel J. ''The Pennsylvania Militia: Defending the Commonwealth and the nation, 1669-1870'', Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs (2002), pp. 36-45 In 1755 these groups were re-established in response to Braddock's defeat. The 103rd Engineer Battalion (United States) and the U.S. Army 111th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Associators", traces their lineages to these Pennsylvania Associators.
Associators in American Revolutionary War
American Patriot Associators
Province of Pennsylvania
In 1776, theProvince of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...
's Patriot, volunteer, military groups, in the tradition of earlier, colonial, associator militias, used the name the Pennsylvania Associators. The following year, in 1777, it was renamed the Pennsylvania State Militia.
* Hanover Associators (1774)
* Bucks County Associators (1775-1776)
* Lancaster County Associators (1775)
* Northumberland County Associators (1776)
* Artillery Battalion, Pennsylvania Militia (Philadelphia) (1747)
* 4th Battalion of Philadelphia County Militia (1776)
* Philadelphia Brigade of Militia (1747)
* 2nd Battalion, Philadelphia Associators
* 3rd Battalion, Philadelphia Associators
British Loyalist Associators
Many Loyalistirregulars
Irregular military is any military component distinct from a country's regular armed forces, representing non-standard militant elements outside of conventional governmental backing. Irregular elements can consist of militias, private army, pr ...
who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
were "associators". These units were sometimes commissioned by the commander in chief but could also be commissioned by the commander of a garrison
A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters.
A garrison is usually in a city ...
or a royal colonial governor. They received no pay, and often no uniforms; they were usually issued provisions, but relied on labor or looting
Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
to earn money. Loyalist Associators often served in mixed-race units, composed of whites, escaped slaves, and even American Indians.
Perhaps one of the most famous Loyalist associators was Colonel Tye, a former slave and leader of the infamous "Black Brigade". He was the first known black officer in North American military history.
Province of Georgia
* Augusta Associators ( Augusta) (1781)Province of Massachusetts
* Loyal American Association (Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
) (1775-1776)
* Loyal Associated Refugees (1779)
* Loyal Irish Volunteers (Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
) (1775-1776)
* Pepperell's Corps (Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
) (1779-?)
* Royal North British Volunteers (Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
) (1775-1776)
Province of Maryland
* Maryland Royal Retaliators (raised inPhiladelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
) (1780-1781)
Province of New Jersey
* Associated Loyalists, also known as Governor Franklin's Associated Loyalists (1780–1782) * Black Brigade''Black Loyalists: Our History, Our People''. Canada's Digital Collection. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. (Black Loyalists
Black Loyalists were people of African descent who sided with Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. In particular, the term referred to men enslaved by Patriot (American Revolution), Patriots who served ...
) led by Colonel Tye and later, Colonel Stephen Blucke
Stephen Blucke or Stephen Bluck (born –after 1796) was a Black Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War and one the commanding officers of the British Loyalist provincial unit, the Black Company of Pioneers. He was one of 3,000 people who lef ...
) ( Monmouth County) (1779-1783)
* King’s Militia Volunteers ( Monmouth County) (1779–1780)
* Pine Robbers (outlaw gangs) ( New Jersey Pine Barrens) (1776–1783)
* Refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
(unit of New Jersey Royal Governor William Franklin
William Franklin (22 February 1730 – 17 November 1813) was an American-born attorney, soldier, politician, and colonial administrator. He was the acknowledged extra-marital son of Benjamin Franklin. William Franklin was the last colonial G ...
's Associated Loyalists and Pine Robbers gang) ( New Jersey Pine Barrens), (Ocean County
Ocean County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the southernmost county in the New York metropolitan area. The county borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and in terms of total area is the state's largest county. Its co ...
) (1780–1782)
Province of New York
* Associated Refugees, also known as the King's American Regiment) (Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
) (1776-1783)
* Brant's Volunteers (New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
) (1777-1779)
* De Lancey's Refugees (also known as "Cowboys" and part of De Lancey's Brigade) (Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
) (1776-1783)
* Hatfield's Company of Partisans ( partisans irregulars
Irregular military is any military component distinct from a country's regular armed forces, representing non-standard militant elements outside of conventional governmental backing. Irregular elements can consist of militias, private army, pr ...
led by Captain Cornelius Hatfield, Jr., and part of the New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens) (Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
) (1779-1782)
* Hazard's Corps of Refugees (Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
) (1780–1782)
* Loyal Refugee Volunteers ( Albany) (1779–1782)
Province of Pennsylvania
* Doan Gang (outlaws) ( Bucks County) (1774–1783)Province of Rhode Island
* Loyal Newport Associators/ref> (also known as the Loyal Newport Volunteers) ( Newport) (1777–1779)
Other Loyalist Associators
* Robins Company of Partisans ( partisanirregulars
Irregular military is any military component distinct from a country's regular armed forces, representing non-standard militant elements outside of conventional governmental backing. Irregular elements can consist of militias, private army, pr ...
) (1780-1782?)
* Sharp's Refugee Marines (marines
Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
- naval infantry force) (1779)
* James Stewart's Company of Refugees (1780-1781)
* Uzal Ward's Company of Refugees (1780-1783)
Notable Associators
* Nehemiah Blakiston *Stephen Blucke
Stephen Blucke or Stephen Bluck (born –after 1796) was a Black Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War and one the commanding officers of the British Loyalist provincial unit, the Black Company of Pioneers. He was one of 3,000 people who lef ...
* Peter Etter
* Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...
* Colonel Tye
* John Coode
* Oliver De Lancey
* Doan Brothers
* Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
* Harpe Brothers
Micajah "Big" Harpe, born Joshua Harper (before 1768 – August 24, 1799), and Wiley "Little" Harpe, born William Harper (before 1770 – February 8, 1804), were American murderers, highwaymen and river pirates who operated in Tennessee, Kentu ...
* Cortlandt Skinner
See also
*Provincial troops in the French and Indian Wars
Provincial troops were military units raised by colonial governors and legislatures in British North America for extended operations during the French and Indian Wars. The provincial troops differed from the militia, in that they were a full-time ...
References
Sources
* Farrelly, Maura Jane. ''Papist Patriots: The Making of an American Catholic Identity''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. * Newland, Samuel J. ''The Pennsylvania Militia: Defending the Commonwealth and the nation, 1669-1870''. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, 2002. * Ryan, William R. ''The World of Thomas Jeremiah: Charles Town on the Eve of the American Revolution''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. * Seymour, Joseph. ''The Pennsylvania Associators, 1747-1777''. Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing, 2012. * Verenna, Thomas. "Explaining Pennsylvania's Militia", ''Journal of the American Revolution'', June 17, 2014.List of British Loyalist Associators - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
External links
* ttps://www.facebook.com/The-Pennsylvania-Associators-1747-1777-359518067391816/The Pennsylvania Associators, 1747-1777 - (Facebook)
List of British Loyalist Associators - The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
{{John Dickinson Loyalist military units in the American Revolution United States military associations