In any war of Independence, there are going to be winners and there are going to be losers. So then, for those that do not desire to risk much of anything, their only real choice is to make it abundantly clear that they are absolutely neutral, or better yet, to depart forthrightly with what they have because wars are often very messy protracted events with tragic circumstances, for those that are its civilians, as well as for those that are its soldiers in addition to those other important operatives.
When it comes to those who signed their respective names to the Declaration of Independence, they really did feel that they risked “… our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Indeed, the price of treason against Great Britain, would in all probability have meant that those of the highest echelons of revolutionary power, would have suffered for their audacity in taking on the British empire, with not just losing their fortunes, and their position in society, but could quite readily have meant for them to lose their lives, as well, to set therefore an example to all those others considering revolution in the future, as a way to make the point, that Great Britain did not countenance and never would countenance those that took up arms against it, whatsoever.
Fortunately, for those colonists that stood firmly on the side of the revolution, they were successful in defeating the empire of Great Britain, which is not only to their credit, and ultimately to the credit of all those that became Americans, but also meant that those that were the loyalists to the British crown, who may or may not have been aware of this inconvenient fact, signified that by virtue of them being loyal to that crown, and thereby either taking up arms against the revolutionaries or by aiding and abetting Great Britain in their war effort indicated that they too risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, and because they were defeated, they had to pay the full price for having backed the wrong horse.
Indeed, although only a few loyalists ended up actually being hanged, some, though, did pay that price for being loyal to Great Britain, by being hanged. Additionally, many of the most powerful and well-positioned loyalists suffered from the loss and confiscation of their property, as well as their social standing, and were essentially forced to evacuate from what became the United States of America, with none or minimal compensation for the property so lost.
All of the above, indicates that when one side to the war makes it to be its point that they will risk everything that matters, then this truly does signify that the other side, is essentially going to be risking the very same thing, which means that to the victors go the spoils and to the losers, they lose everything, including not just their property, their social standing, their honor, but also their very lives.