I am researching Christian William Fritz (Fritts, Fretz) who was a Non associator of New Hanover township, Philadelphia County, PA. What is a non associator? Where would they have fought? Thank you Doloras B. Bergmark dorordon@infi.net

A non-Associator is someone who refused to sign an Association. He might be Patriot or Loyalist, and may or may not have fought. Various "associations" of Loyalists as well as of Patriots were created during the pre-Revolutionary period as a means of organizing and testing political strength. Members were known as "associators." The Virginia Association was adopted 18 May '69 as a NON IMPORTATION agreement banning British goods on which a duty was charged (except paper), slaves (after 1 NOV.), and many European luxuries. A Maryland provisional convention on 22 June drew up a similar association, but added a provision for boycotting those who would not make a similar compact. Other colonies and individual port towns followed suit. The Continental Association ("The Association"), signed by the first Cont'l. Congress 20 Oct. '74, was modeled after the Virginia Association. After expressing loyalty and enumerating grievances, the document states: "To obtain redress of these grievances, which threaten destruction to the lives, liberty, and property of his majesty's subjects, in North-America, we are of opinion, that a non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation agreement, faithfully adhered to, will prove the most speedy, effectual, and peaceable measure:..." (Commager, Docs., 85) Non importation was to be effective I Dec. '74, and nonexportation on 10 Sept. '75. The document included provisions for enforcement by committees of correspondence, discontinuation of the slave trade, development of American agriculture and industry, and called for austerity. By April the Association was operating in 12 colonies; Georgia adopted a modified version 23 Jan. '75. Evidence of its effectiveness is the decrease of over 90 per cent in the value of English imports by the American colonies between 1774 and 1775. Desperate English merchants put pressure on the government for reconciliation with the colonies; they were worried not only by the decline in business but also by the fact that if war broke out they would never collect the large sums owed them by American planters. "There was more to the Association than met the eye," points out Montross; it was actually "the crude political forerunner of the Confederation and the Constitution." (Montross, Reluctant Rebels, 58 ) Commager quotes the historian R. Hildreth as saying, "The signature of the Association may be considered as the commencement of the American Union." Other associations of a different nature began to be organized in early 1775. Unlike those created for commercial retaliation, these promoted armed opposition to England. "In these associations the spirit of war appears for the first time " (Van Tyne, Loyalists, 75-76) Certain "associations" were military rather than political. Among these were the "Philadelphia Associators" who reinforced Washington in the dark days of Dec. 76. According to The Army Lineage Book, Volume 11: Infantry (Washington, 1953) this militia organization was constituted 7 Dec. '47 by official recognition of The Associators, who had been founded 21 Nov. '47 in Philadelphia by Benj. Franklin. Organized 29 Dec. '47 as the "Associated Regiment of Foot of Philadelphia," they were reorganized in 1775 as the "Associators of the City & Liberties of Philadelphia," with five battalions. In 1777 they were reorganized as the "Philadelphia Brigade of Militia" under command of John Cadwalader. On 11 Apr. '93 they were again reorganized as volunteer infantry elements of the 1st Brig., 1st Div., Pa. militia. The modern 11 th Inf. Regt. of the Pa. National Guard traces its lineage to the Associators. (Op. cit., 307) -- For Revolutionary War information on the Internet, your first choice should be AMERICANREVOLUTION.ORG