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of Toryism,"5 my endeavor is to identify them and see what face the Tory scourge in Oxford wore.
   Known as the "Land of Steady Habits," Connecticut in the pre-Revolutionary years was in something of a ferment. Despite a traditional sense of social conformity and unity, the colony had some serious divisions. Just a few short years before, connecticut, like most other colonies, endured the movement known as the Great Awakening. This religious revival not only shook up the majority Congregationalist6 churches, but introduced hints of evangelicalism and strengthened the tiny Anglican presence. Connecticut seemed to be split into eastern and western regions. politically, and the western Congregationalists had to make room for a steadily increasing number of Anglicans. Some confirmation of this can be found in the court record. Fairfield and New Haven counties had the majority of "Tory" cases during the Revolution; but for the eastern counties, legal cases involving "Tories" are very rare.7
   Just who were these Tories?8 Evidence suggests that the term can be a misnomer, with different shades of the meaning. The most obvious (and convenient) association of the term "Tory" is with the Anglican Church. The Congregationalists represent the faction that escaped to England to pursue religious freedom in the New World. By far the majority, they detested and resented the later incursion of the Church of England, or Anglican Church, into the colonies. The most intense emotions were expressed in New England. Other Tories got their labels by resisting the authority of the Continental Congress, refusing to change allegiance from their king. Many of these men confirmed these sentiments by joining Loyalist regiments; many suffered ruin and exile at the end of hostilities.9 Still others could be said to be only political conservatives, who "were so for practical reasons. They subscribed to the injustices of Parliament, but thought the colonies could not overcome against the power and resources of the

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5 Litchfield, Norman, History of St. Peter's Church in Oxford, Connecticut (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edward Brothers, Inc., 1958)  10
6 This term as such did not exist during the period. "Presbyterians" is probably more correct, but even this label can cause confusion among modern readers. For purposes of this essay, the majority church in Connecticut will be referred to as "Congregationalist."
7 Robert A. East, Connecticut Loyalists (Chester, Connecticut, Pequot Press, 1794)  15
8 Ironically, the term originally denoted Irish highwaymen. The more familiar application described staunch church and king men, and later was a blanket term for loyalist colonists during the American Revolution. See The New American desk Encyclopedia. New York: Penguin Books, Inc., 1989 edition.
9 East, 12.