Patriots who wanted to fight could enlist in Washington’s Continental Army or join their state militia. The militias were less organized and less disciplined. But they provided crucial support for the army in many battles.
Minutemen were special groups of militia that formed just before the Revolution. They were ready to respond to a British attack “in a minute.” Boys as young as 14 could join the army with their parents’ permission. There was no upper age limit. Loyalists—colonists who stayed loyal to Great Britain—either joined the British army or formed their own militias.
