The American Revolution was started and led by a small group of rebellious colonists who strongly believed in independence. Most colonists, however, were indifferent or opposed to independence, and their allegiance could not be taken for granted. Besides fighting one another, rebels and redcoats battled for the hearts and minds of American colonists who had not yet chosen sides. Loyalists lived throughout the colonies, but their numbers were smallest, around 5% in places like Massachusetts, where patriots had long pursued campaigns of political education and mobilization. Areas where new British immigrants clustered, however, tended to be loyalist strongholds. They were concentrated in Georgia, New York, and the Carolina piedmont. Elites in Quebec also supported the Crown and formed a significant minority.