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 generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
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, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. ", "Volunteers", and "
Partisans".
The term ''
Non-Associators'' was applied to American colonists who refused to support and sign "military association"
charters. 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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...
, 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
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylva ...
'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
During
King 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 t ...
,
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a 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, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. 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] The
U.S. Army 111th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania Army National Guard
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylva ...
's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team,
28th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Associators", traces their lineage to these Pennsylvania Associators. In 1755 these groups were re-established in response to
Braddock Braddock may refer to:
Places England, United Kingdom
* Braddock, Cornwall
** Battle of Braddock Down, 1643
Canada
* Braddock, Saskatchewan
* Braddock Lake, Saskatchewan; a reservoir
United States
* Braddock, New Jersey
* Braddock, North Dako ...
's defeat.
Associators in American Revolutionary War
American Patriot Associators
State of Connecticut
State of Maryland
State of New York
State of Pennsylvania
In 1776, Pennsylvania, Patriot, volunteer, military groups, in the tradition of earlier, colonial, associator militias, used the name the
Pennsylvania Associators and in 1777, were renamed the
Pennsylvania State Militia
Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Mary ...
.
*
Hanover Associators
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany a ...
(1774)
*
Bucks County Associators
Bucks may refer to:
Places
* Buckinghamshire, England, abbreviated Bucks
* Bucks, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
* Bucks, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community
* Bucks, Michigan, an unincorporated communit ...
(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
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hi ...
British Loyalist Associators
Many Loyalist
irregulars 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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...
were "associators". These units were sometimes commissioned by the commander in chief but could also be commissioned by the commander of a
garrison 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
Loyal may refer to:
* Loyalty
Music
* ''Loyal'' (album), by Dave Dobbyn, 1988
** "Loyal" (Dave Dobbyn song)
* ''The Loyal'', an album by Tiger Lou, 2005
* "Loyal" (Chris Brown song), 2013
* "Loyal" (PartyNextDoor song), 2019
* "Loyal", a song ...
(
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
) (1775-1776)
*
Loyal Associated Refugees
Loyal may refer to:
* Loyalty
Music
* ''Loyal'' (album), by Dave Dobbyn, 1988
** "Loyal" (Dave Dobbyn song)
* '' The Loyal'', an album by Tiger Lou, 2005
* "Loyal" (Chris Brown song), 2013
* "Loyal" (PartyNextDoor song), 2019
* "Loyal", a son ...
(1779)
*
Loyal Irish Volunteers (
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
) (1775-1776)
*
Pepperell's Corps (
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
) (1779-?)
*
Royal North British Volunteers (
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
) (1775-1776)
Province of Maryland
*
Maryland Royal Retaliators (raised in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
) (1780-1781)
Province of New Jersey
*
Associated Loyalists Associated may refer to:
*Associated, former name of Avon, Contra Costa County, California
* Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto, a school in Canada
*Associated Newspapers, former name of DMG Media, a British publishing company
See also
* Associa ...
(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 the Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. In particular, the term refers to men who escaped enslavement by Patriot masters and served on the Loyalist side because of the C ...
) led by Colonel Tye and later, Colonel
Stephen Blucke) (
Monmouth County) (1779-1783)
*
King’s Militia Volunteers (
Monmouth County) (1779–1780)
*
Pine Robbers
"Pine Robbers" were loosely organized criminal gangs and marauders who were British sympathizers and Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War and used the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to wreak havoc in the area. The pine barrens create ...
(outlaw gangs) (
New Jersey Pine Barrens
The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguous ...
) (1776–1783)
*
Refugees
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. (unit of New Jersey Royal Governor
William Franklin's Associated Loyalists and
Pine Robbers
"Pine Robbers" were loosely organized criminal gangs and marauders who were British sympathizers and Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War and used the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to wreak havoc in the area. The pine barrens create ...
gang) (
New Jersey Pine Barrens
The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguous ...
), (
Ocean County) (1780–1782)
Province of New York
*
Associated Refugees (also known as the
King's American Regiment) (
Long Island) (1776-1783)
*
Brant's Volunteers (
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
) (1777-1779)
*
De Lancey's Refugees (also known as "Cowboys" and part of
De Lancey's Brigade) (
Long Island) (1776-1783)
*
Hatfield's Company of Partisans
Hatfield's was a restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
History
The restaurant closed in 2014.
Reception
Hatfield's received high acclaim including 3 stars from the '' Los Angeles Times'', Best New Restaurant from ''Bon Appétit'' and ''Angelo ...
(
partisans irregulars led by Captain
Cornelius Hatfield, Jr.
Cornelius Hatfield, Jr. (1755 – 13 August 1823) was a Loyalist spy, guide, intelligence gatherer, and raider in the American Revolution. Hatfield was commissioned a captain and leader of an independent company of Refugee partisans in February ...
, and part of the
New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
The New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Jersey Volunteers, "Skinners", Skinner's Corps, and Skinner's Greens (due to their green wool uniform coats), were a British provincial military unit of Loyalists, raised for service by Cortlandt Skinn ...
(
Long Island) (1779-1782)
*
Hazard's Corps of Refugees (
Long Island) (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
Loyal may refer to:
* Loyalty
Loyalty, in general use, is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly ...
/ref> (also known as the Loyal Newport Volunteers) (Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
Europe
Ireland
*Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
) (1777–1779)
Other Loyalist Associators
* Robins Company of Partisans Robins may refer to:
Places United States
*Robins, Iowa, a small city
* Robins, Ohio, an unincorporated community
* Robins Township, Fall River County, South Dakota
*Robins Island, of the coast of New York state
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
* ...
marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (ref ...
- naval infantry force) (1779)
* James Stewart's Company of RefugeesUzal Ward's Company of Refugees Uzal, in the Hebrew Bible, is a descendant of Joktan ( Book of Genesis 10:27 ; 1 Chronicles 1:21), whose settlements are traced in the ancient name of Sanaʽa, the capital city of the Yemen. He was believed to be the founder of an Arabian tribe ...
Notable Associators
* Nehemiah Blakiston
* Stephen Blucke
* 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, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. Perhaps th ...
* Colonel Tye
* John Coode
* Oliver De Lancey
* Doan Brothers
* Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a m ...
* Harpe Brothers
* 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