Associators

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title: "Associators" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["loyalist-military-units-in-the-american-revolution", "united-states-military-associations"] topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associators" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox military unit"]

FieldValue
unit_nameAssociators
imagePaxton Boys march on Philadelphia.jpg
image_size300px
captionA 1764 illustration of the Pennsylvania Associators assembling in Philadelphia after news of the Paxton Boys marching on the city
countryFlag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg British America
United States
allegianceKingdom of Great Britain
United States
typeInfantry, dragoons (mounted infantry), artillery
branchColonial militia, independent volunteers, military association, refugees, partisans, (auxiliary troops)
dates1689-1784
sizeCompany-regiment
battlesMaryland Protestant Rebellion (1689)
notable_commanders* Maryland Colonial Governor Nehemiah Blakiston
::

| unit_name = Associators | image = Paxton Boys march on Philadelphia.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = A 1764 illustration of the Pennsylvania Associators assembling in Philadelphia after news of the Paxton Boys marching on the city | country = Flag of Great Britain (1707–1800).svg British America United States | allegiance = Kingdom of Great Britain United States | type = Infantry, dragoons (mounted infantry), artillery | branch = Colonial militia, independent volunteers, military association, refugees, partisans, (auxiliary troops) | dates = 1689-1784 | specialization = | command_structure = | size = Company-regiment | garrison = | ceremonial_chief = | nickname = | motto = | colors = | march = | mascot = | battles = Maryland Protestant Rebellion (1689) King George's War (1744-1748) French and Indian War (1754-1763) American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) | notable_commanders = * Maryland Colonial Governor Nehemiah Blakiston

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Battle_of_the_Severn_Cropped.jpg" caption="Catholic]] government within the colony."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Feke_-_Benjamin_Franklin.png" caption="[[Benjamin Franklin]], in 1747, during [[King George's War]], wrote and published the pamphlet, ''Plain Truth'', calling for a voluntary association to defend [[Philadelphia]]."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Joseph_Brant_painting_by_George_Romney_1776_(2).jpg" caption="Mohawk]] Indians and white soldiers raised during the [[American Revolutionary War]] who fought on the British side in the [[Province of New York]]."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/2nd_Batallion_Associators_Pennsylvania_National_Guard_U.S._Army_Patch_Insignia.jpg" caption="U.S. Army 111th Infantry Regiment]] insignia patch"] ::

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 militias. But unlike militias, the associator military volunteers were exempt from regular mandatory military service. Other names used to describe associators were "Associations", "Associated", "Refugees", "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, 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

Main article: Protestant Revolution (Maryland), John Coode (Governor of Maryland){{!}}John Coode, Nehemiah Blakiston

Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Associators

During King George's War, Benjamin Franklin, in 1747, wrote and published the pamphlet, "Plain Truth", calling for a voluntary association to defend Philadelphia. 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. 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

Main article: List of United States militia units in the American Revolutionary War

Province of Pennsylvania

In 1776, the Province of Pennsylvania'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

Main article: List of British units in the American Revolutionary War

Many Loyalist irregulars who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War 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 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) (1775-1776)
  • Loyal Associated Refugees (1779)
  • Loyal Irish Volunteers (Boston) (1775-1776)
  • Pepperell's Corps (Boston) (1779-?)
  • Royal North British Volunteers (Boston) (1775-1776)

Province of Maryland

  • Maryland Royal Retaliators (raised in Philadelphia) (1780-1781)

Province of New Jersey

Province of New York

Province of Pennsylvania

Province of Rhode Island

  • Loyal Newport Associators (also known as the Loyal Newport Volunteers) (Newport) (1777–1779)

Other Loyalist Associators

  • Robins Company of Partisans (partisan irregulars) (1780-1782?)
  • Sharp's Refugee Marines (marines - naval infantry force) (1779)
  • James Stewart's Company of Refugees (1780-1781)
  • Uzal Ward's Company of Refugees (1780-1783)

Notable Associators

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

References

  1. 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
  2. (1902). "The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 26".
  3. [https://books.google.com/books?id=arI0HSFXwLkC&pg=PA420 Jonathan D. Sutherland, ''African Americans at War'', ABC-CLIO, 2003, pp. 420–421, accessed May 4, 2010]
  4. ''Black Loyalists: Our History, Our People''. Canada's Digital Collection. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  5. "Loyalist Institute: List of Loyalist Regiments".
  6. "Loyalist Institute: King's Militia Volunteers, Jail Break Notice".
  7. (1997). "Roster of the People of Revolutionary Monmouth County (New Jersey)". Genealogical Publishing Com.
  8. "Loyalist Institute: Index to Hazard's Corps of Refugees History".
  9. [https://books.google.com/books?id=24stDwAAQBAJ&q=Hazard%27s+Corps+of+Refugees David M. Griffin, ''Lost British Forts of Long Island''. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2017. p. 93.]
  10. "Loyalist Institute: Index to Loyal Refugee Volunteers History".
  11. Todd Braisted, ''Thomas Ward and the Loyal Refugee Volunteers at Bergen Neck, 1779-1782''. 1999.
  12. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PA8AQAAMAAJ&dq=Loyal+Refugee+Volunteers Alexander Fraser, ''United Empire Loyalists: Enquiry Into the Losses and Services in Consequence of Their Loyalty. Evidence in the Canadian Claims, Ontario. Department of Public Records and Archives''. Ottawa, ON: L.K. Cameron, 1905. p. 654–655.]
  13. James J. Gigantino, ''The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Home Front Rivergate Regionals Collection''. Rutgers, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2015. p. 73, 81, 83, 202, 206.
  14. "Loyalist Institute: Index to Loyal Newport Associators History".
  15. [https://books.google.com/books?id=HmUFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA286 Abiel Holmes, ''The annals of America: from the discovery by Columbus in the year 1492, to the year 1826, Volume 1''. Cambridge, UK: Hilliard and Brown, 1829 p. 286.]
  16. [https://archive.org/details/amloyalists00sabirich Lorenzo Sabine, ''The American Loyalists; or, Biographical sketches of adherents to the British crown in the war of the revolution; alphabetically arranged; with a preliminary historical essay''. Boston: C.C. Little and J. Brown, 1847. pp. 63, 269.]
  17. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fl0EAAAAYAAJ&dq=thomas+vernon+loyal+newport+associators&pg=PA749 Samuel Greene Arnold, ''1701-1790 Volume 2 of History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations''. Providence, RI: Preston & Rounds, 1899. p 749.]
  18. [https://archive.org/details/descendantsoftho03reed William Field Reed, ''The Descendants of Thomas Durfee of Portsmouth, R.I.'', Volume 1. Washington D.C.: Gibson Bros., Printers, 1900 p. 207-208.]
  19. [https://archive.org/details/biographicalske00sabigoog Lorenzo Sabine, ''Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution'', Volume 3. Carlisle, MA: Applewood Books, 2009. p. 581.]
  20. [https://books.google.com/books?id=KRRSfy7eVoIC Theodore Savas and J. David Dameron, ''Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution''. Savas Beatie LLC, 2006. p. xliii.]
  21. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Mo4wDQAAQBAJ&dq=loyalists+in+newport&pg=PT321 Thomas N. Ingersoll, ''The Loyalist Problem in Revolutionary New England''. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2016.]
  22. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uR13CQAAQBAJ&dq=loyalists+in+newport&pg=PT37 Christian M. McBurney, ''Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island''. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2014.]
  23. [https://archive.org/details/diaryofthomasver00vern 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.]

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