Tom Sheldon, 44, of Savannah, Georgia, claims he is the last American loyalist to the British Crown.
Sheldon believes the American Revolutionary War was illegal and still considers America a British colony in revolt, despite Britain’s own recognition of American Independence in 1783.
Sheldon claims he realized the truth in high school and his conviction has only strengthened with time.
“It just made sense. I read the history and just realized we were in the wrong. No one likes taxes, but it’s no justification for what they did. Most people back then were loyalists, and we didn’t have it that bad. It was really just a few bad apples. To me, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin … they’re all traitors.”
Sheldon says he spent much of his youth attempting to organize and recruit other members to his cause but had little success. “Most people would laugh at me or act like the notion is ridiculous, but they don’t know history. Just look at the Civil War and what happened when multiple states tried to secede. People didn’t think that was okay, and I agree with them, but it was fine for us to do the same against the king?”
Meetups, online advertisements, and public events all proved fruitless; but the determined loyalist says he never lost faith.
“I’ll fight for my country until the day I die,” he said passionately.
Sheldon’s ancestors were born in England and immigrated to America from Liverpool in 1730. While it is not known if they remained loyalists during the Revolutionary War, he says it doesn’t matter.
“What matters is that I am a British subject, and I am in a British colony. The time that has passed makes no difference. If my ancestors fought against the Crown, then they were traitors.”
Sheldon still hopes to grow his movement, American Loyalists, and eventually gain enough support to return the entire nation to British control. He believes this can be accomplished peacefully by convincing the American government that it is finally time to surrender.
The question of unification still remains, as the Kingdom of Great Britain is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sheldon would not say whether America would be integrated into the new system, but says it’s worth considering.
“I think we have to go back to the revolution,” he said. “At that time it was just Great Britain, which was made up of England, Wales, and Scotland. So I think it would be up to those countries to decide. Still, America was a colony at the time, and in revolt, so I don’t think we should expect to be treated as equals for a long time.”
Sheldon said America would first need to pay the United Kingdom back for over two hundred years’ worth of lost tax revenue. Afterward, the queen and parliament should decide how to punish the citizenry.
The Jest asked Sheldon if he believes his plan is realistic considering America’s power and position in the world today relative to the United Kingdom.
“I do,” he said. “Most people didn’t think America could successfully revolt and form its own country, but it happened. Now, it’s like a reverse of that, and I plan to lead the charge.”
He says that one day he hopes to personally present terms of surrender to the British government.
When asked if he considered his plan treasonous, Sheldon laughed: “Oh, the irony in that statement.”
American Loyalists currently has only one member but will be campaigning across the nation later this year.
