Final answer:
During the American Revolution, a notable portion of American colonists and some Native American tribes chose to remain neutral. This included pacifists, some members of tribes like the Iroquois Confederacy, and colonists who simply wanted to avoid the conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the American Revolution, not all individuals and groups took sides. Many American colonists, as well as Native American tribes like the Iroquois Confederacy, chose to remain neutral. A significant portion of the colonists, about one third, preferred to focus on their daily lives without engaging in the conflict. Additionally, some pacifists were against war on principle and remained neutral. Other neutral parties declared loyalty opportunistically, switching sides when beneficial for their safety or interests.
The question of alliances was complex, as was shown by the divisions within the Iroquois Confederacy; while the Confederacy declared neutrality, not all tribes agreed, and individual tribes sometimes aligned with either the British or the colonists based on their interests. In the South, while most Cherokee elders favored neutrality, younger tribal members chose to fight against the colonials.