Who were the outcasts here? Would their different points of view and political leanings cast them out of the circle? In black and white, it declared which side of the line drawn in the sand a man stood on.
At the beginning of the American Revolution, male citizens were asked to sign an association test: would they side with the Patriots and welcome freedom from George III and Great Britain? Their decisions to sign would lead them down a path of freedom fighting. Also, it was recorded who refused to sign which meant they would remain faithful to George III and his government. Their decisions to not sign would lead them down a path of battle.
My fifth great-grandfather was Benjamin Soule (1728-1779). He signed the association test. He was pledging his life and honor for the American cause. He would not live to see the outcome of the war. He would not live to see how the new nation would rise out of the ashes of that war. An outcast of British citizenry or an outcast of a freedom fighter…
Once Upon A Lifetime: Tales And Vignettes Of My Ancestors 