Governor Tryon's proclamation backfired, resulting in a mob that hanged him in effigy. Why do you think he so misjudged the situation? How else could have influenced the population to stay loyal to Britain?

Governor Tryon issued a proclamation that demanded "timely and dutiful submission" of the colonists. The authors write that he "had hoped that his forceful words would embolden the Loyalists in the city and intimidate the rebels," but the plan backfired, resulting in a mob that hanged him in effigy. Why do you think he so misjudged the situation? Was there any other way he could have influenced the population to stay loyal to Britain?

I think it was easy to misread the general populace when he was isolated off shore and those close to him probably had his view of circumstances (and those who didn’t share that view would fall into disfavor.)

You know, although Tryon misread this particular situation, he really wasn't wrong that the colonists were obligated to support the Crown. I think he approached it from a very monarchist point of view, and likely didn't believe the Americans were capable of evicting their parent country. And it was close call, too. The more I read about the time period the more I realize that we could very easily have lost the Revolutionary War.

I think he misread the situation because like most elitists, he wasn't in the "trenches" and was clueless about the thinking of the colonists. And Kim is right - it was a close call. Almost too close for comfort.

I think he misread the situation as he felt he was more in control than he actually was. He was used to people following his orders.

I think Tryon was overconfident and miscalculated his series of diversionary raids along the Connecticut Coast which resulted in the burning down of homes, churches and farms as well as slaughtering unarmed people.Meltzer noted that even some British soldiers criticized Tryon’s actions. I’m not sure that he could have influenced the population to stay loyal to Britain because I think people started to see him for what he really was: cunning, power hungry, self-centered, etc.

Exactly! So glad I read this book. Made Memorial Day extra special.

Ego and an overblown sense of entitlement always gets in the way of rational thought. That was the difference between him and Washington. When you think you own something and that something fights back, you end up losing. If he had had enough respect for the patriots to at least show he was willing to talk it through, it may not have ended the way it did.

You cannot sit in a boat isolated from the common man and read them. Although Tryon had support, he did not have all the support. His spies and accomplices were not building and helping the colonists, rather they were sneaking around, allowing the fear in the hearts of residents to build. It seems he had enough support to assume he had the people, but as the saying goes: to assume makes an ass out of you and me. Tryon missed the mark. But it was close.

It was a different time in much of the world: the Enlightenment thinkers and writers influencing many to to re-think authority. I think Tryon was traditional and didn’t comprehend individualism, so he had no reason to deviate from the traditional methods of punishing dissent. I believe part of his miscalculation also involved the nature of the colonists themselves. Many would have been independent risk-takers. Not all course, but resentment of the King’s and governors’ high-handedness created a willingness to challenge England’s authority. Finally, England’s military superiority assumed the colonists would be brought into line. Only a different kind of governor would have been able to influence a pro-crown sentiment.