Many colonists held a stronger loyalty to their American Colonies than to England by the eve of the Revolution. The battles and trials that they endured gave them an identity and a unity, they had survived through many hardships and any group that does that had some sort of bond. The unique combining of cultures, geography, and the many political ordeals that American colonists had endured provided them with a sense of identity and unity. There was a combining of culture in America that was unique and this mixing that occurred throughout the colonies made it so that the majority could not identify, fully, with the term "Englishmen" but identified themselves as Americans. In Europe most would call themselves French, Dutch, Irish, ect., but in the colonies there were so many people immigrating from not only England, but most other European countries and in America they were marrying and reproducing in a way that did not happen as often in Europe so they identified with the term "American" because they no longer could identify with only one European country. The descendents of an Irish woman and a French man born in America could not identify solely with the term Irish or French, and they were not born in Europe so the term European could not apply to them, but the word American described these unique people perfectly. The American was a mixture of many cultures and could identify with living in America and being a part of large web of different backgrounds. Hector St. John Crèvecoer explained this concept of an American in his "Letters from an American Farmer," composed in the 1770's. Here he explains that the descendent of many different cultures... ... middle of paper ... ...nd Lexington. Proof of this new found unity comes in Richard Henry Lee's letter to Arthur Lee in 1774, where he states "all North America is now most firmly united and as firmly resolved to defend their liberties " As Americans they came together and fought for what they believed in and continued to do what was necessary to get their freedom and independence. Americans developed a sense of identity and unity through many factors such as: the variety and mixture of cultures in America, geography, and the political and economic hardships they endured. This is why by the eve of the Revolution, between 1750 and 1776, they had a strong sense of both identity and unity as Americans.
The Chesapeake and New England regions were settled by people of English descent, but by 1700, they had become two distinctly different societies. They had evolved so differently, mainly because of the way that the settlers followed their religion, their way of conducting politics and demographics in the colonies. Even though the settlers came from the same homeland: England, each group had its own reasons for coming to the New World and different ideas planned for the colonies.
When the United States was still the thirteen colonies, they were characterized into three groups: the New England, the Middle, and the Southern colonies. These three varied in their economic aspects, their politics, social viewpoints, and the religion that was practiced.
Throughout history, humankind has done just about everything wrong; from slavery to bowl cuts. We are creatures of habit, greed, and want. We all believe in hope that eventually history won’t repeat, but we creatures of habit are doing very little to stop it. Our habitual patterns cause chaos and disrupt in war most of the time, so the fact that the colonies usually failed and died isn’t surprising. Jamestown was the first “successful” colony but all the people in the colony mainly died. We love to look the other way and say that they died because they didn’t know the land or because the natives were evil but the truth is; the Jamestown colonists died because of their stupidity, mistrust, and greed (a.k.a human nature).
Imperialism became a driving force among European nations in the growth of power and wealth. European countries placed large values on controlling colonies, similarly to how members of the aristocratic society today would put emphasis on owning an immaculate mansion or an expensive car. Colonies formed in Latin America, Africa, and Asia were seen as status symbols for the overarching European countries; colonies represented economic strength and political power, which was fueled by intense nationalistic spirits. Competition for colonies became the biggest aspect of imperialism, leading several European powers to bicker over controlling colonial trade. The voices of the Colonists were oppressed and ignored as their land and resources were
To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
Before the start of the revolution, the colonists were faced with a threat. The French owned a large portion of American soil and had formed close ties with the Native Americans in their area whom were known for their hostility towards the English settlers. During the French and Indian War, the colonists had minimal help other than the strong naval power the English withheld and they were often belittled by the experienced soldiers that quartered in their homes. The colonists gathered a sense of unity in order to win the war. Although England beat the French, the peace would last only a decade before the colonists would revolt.
With previous turmoil in Great Britain, the colonies in North America had flourished early on due to salutary neglect and developed characteristics which soon defined Americans. An eventual conflict leading up to the revolution would be the drastic contrast between Britain and its colonies. Britain, an Old World country, had for centuries held onto their way of living and prided themselves on being Englishmen hence when faced with the fact that their much "inferior" counterpart have became "either an European, or the descendant of an European" British authorities intervene and catalyst what soon to be the birth- or rather the formal introduction- of a new man; "He is an American from the new mode of life he has embraced ". This mode of life, recognizably the American way of life, was a land of opportunity and equality for all. There was no real social hierarchy, aristocrats were few, and because of human freedom sentiments (mainly founded in the outspoken Middle colonies) America was unlike anything known in Europe.
All in all, the colonists had felt an identity from the very beginning and forming a unity with one another was not difficult for them to achieve. They were prepared to tackle a situation together and they had begun referring to themselves as not British. To conclude, colonists had already a sense of identity and unity because they all had one common problem and they had to act together to deal with it.
History has shown us that in order for a society to flourish there must be some commonality within the society. Sharing similar values, interests and cultures may be the basis for forming a community. The true test of a society is when communities can comprise, merging together as a larger, stronger, united society. For this process to even begin, there must be a common factor, be it foe, economic reasons, etc., a common goal amongst the communities. A prime example is the creation of a united American society. To truly appreciate the complexity of forming a united society you must first understand why these groups of people came to this strange new land. What similarities they shared, the differences which divided them and the force which unified them.
By the time of the late 18th century, the colonies had grown socially, culturally, economically, and politically setting the mood for a majority of the colonists to want to break ties with the mother country. The colonies were well established, growing rapidly with new settlers arriving, and had begun to interact and socialize with not only each other, but also the Indians and the French, with whom they shared the new lands. (Devore, Lecture # 3.) These newfound social and cultural interactions allowed the colonies to grow economically giving the colonists a sense of importance. The lack of recognition by parliament started to plant the seeds for the revolution.
Even before the eve of the Revolution, the colonists constantly had the image of independence lingering in the back of their heads. The colonists felt that they were first on a loose leash, and as that leash tightened over the years, the colonists began to understand their true culture and identity. As time passed, the colonists developed a greater sense of their identity and unity as Americans and by the eve of the Revolution, even though at first the colonists were unorganized and had problems with being united, they remained determined to gain their identity and unity as Americans.
The Extent of American Unity and Identity Since early colonization the English colonies had always felt closer to England than to each other. In fact, it took a British newspaper less time to reach Savannah than a letter from Massachusetts. However, after the French and Indian War a sense of unity began to permeate through the colonies as a result of British acts. For every British action there was an American reaction, which fed the spirit of a new identity as Americans, not English colonists. The American identity was being established in the years before the revolution, but it was not the majority as some colonists stayed loyal to the King.
The American Revolution is without a question one of the, if not the most, important period in the beginning of American history. Between 1765 and 1783, the colonists rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy after a series of taxes and tariffs were forced upon them, finally the colonists then ultimately overthrew their authority and founded the United States of America. Many historians and authors have debated over the exact reason and overall effects of the War for Independence, however, all agree of the significance and importance of this event. The colonies, which were created as a resource for raw materials and a means for generating profits for Parliament and the Crown, began to desire managing their own affairs and worked towards
There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create their own society with a unique culture and system of economics and politics.
...he fact that they had no political power and were controlled by a country that was thousands of miles away from them. The American Revolution began as a conflict over political and social change, but soon developed into a dispute over personal rights and political liberty. A decade of conflicts between the British government and the Americans, starting with the Stamp Act in 1765 that eventually led to war in 1775, along with The Declaration of Independence in 1776. Americans united as one and knew that they wanted to be an independent country, have their own laws, rights, and not be colony of the Great Britain. They fought hard for their independence and people lost their lives in the process of it but in the end they succeeded. Never give up, keep fighting till the mission is accomplished just like the Americans did when they were fighting for their independence.