In North Carolina in 1773, very few people, on either side of the colonial crisis, were talking about independence. Colonists were seen as rebellious because they would not submit to the rule of law, but they were not seeking independence. The Sons of Liberty and other protesting colonists were fighting for their rights as Englishmen, not independence.
Claire scoffs at the idea of a Son of Liberty toasting the King. In the early 1770s, almost all "patriot" rhetoric blamed the British government's objectionable policies on Parliament, not the King. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1775, colonial settlers who were critical of British policy often expressed loyalty to the crown.