Sense of identity and unity as Americans

In the event of America’s victory in the American Revolution lead to the birth of a new nation. However, before the American Revolution the original colonies of America were already becoming impatient with British rule. This was mostly a result of a foreign country trying to rule people an ocean apart, and by rule this meant collecting taxes Americans found unfair. This rebellion against British rule became more prevalent from the passing of the Stamp Act of 1765 created mostly by George Greenville. The passing of this tax was Britain’s way of reinforcing their authority in the colonies and lessening their financial burden.

It is relevant that the American Revolution was caused by the unique nature of the American Colonists and their society in contrast to their relationships with the English Government. Throughout the Revolution, colonists suffered when it came to them realizing their independent, in order for them to start open rebellion, but the "Common Sense," by Thomas Paine influenced the colonists to structure their identities to enfold as a nation. The success of the Revolution has determined the success of the United States today.

Parliament tried to establish power in the New World by issuing a series of laws. The passage of these laws undermined the Colonist’s loyalty to Britain and stirred the Americans to fight for their freedom. The colonies also accepted England’s right to monitor trade. The change of course in 1767 was what really riled the colonies. England began to slowly tighten its imperial grip to avoid a large reaction from the colonists.

In return, that British did not impose many laws on the colonies. Sir Robert Walpole believed that British interference would alienate the colonies and eventually damage commerce with England. To ensure that this didn’t happen he laxly enforced trade regulations such as the Navigation Act. The policy of salutary neglect led the American colonies to gain independence and develop their own political institutions such as the legislative assemblies. Although the colonies based many of their institutions off of the English, between 1690-1750, the British policy of salutary neglect drove them to become increasingly independent.

And lack of representation for English taxation, on American colonies. Also American tried to set up a bank and monetary system, but the English repealed it. American were looking for more freedom, and the English were becoming stricter, so then came the argument for independence, that split the colonies in three. Radicals, who wanted immediate change, and freedom from the tyrant rule of England, wanted a revolution for independence. Then there were the Moderates who did not like what the English doing, and wanted the English to be more lenient with self-rule, but were afraid that revolution was going to be ... ... middle of paper ... ...h?

The American Revolution had a number of underlying causes, some of which were unavoidable and others which perhaps could have been resolved, but one undeniable beginning was the movement known as anglicization. Before the 1700’s each colony had been acting mostly on its own. They all had different cultures and mixtures of peoples and beliefs. In fact they were becoming increasingly diverse until the early 18th century, when the colonies had stable enough economies and settlements that they started wanting the finer things in life, and they weren 't just worried about survival. This meant that they started importing more goods from England, not just food but fashion, and style.

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.

If the British could emasculate the local militias, perhaps this rebellion could be put down rather quickly and effectively. Unfortunately, the rift was already too large to repair. Both sides were on the verge of war. Americans constantly evoked the ideals of liberty and taxation without representation in their struggle against the British. For the colonists, being taxed and adhering to new British laws passed in Parliament without a representative violated their basic rights.

In 1765, the colonists had not been happy with the taxation of King George. In fact, they were so upset that many of them had decided to boycott certain goods to prove they were not in favor of King George. King George had started to create a bitter rivalry between both America and Great Britain. He had begun to pass the Stamp Act which consisted of a direct tax for the colonists which went to the government instead of being included in the price of goods. This only had made the colonists more upset than they had been before.

Assume for a moment that you are an American colonist who is attempting to break away from the imperialistic power of Great Britain. During the time of Great Britain’s reign over the colonies, you feel as though Great Britain has progressed into a mother country that is both unfair and untrustworthy to the colonists of America. Although there may be numerous explanations as to why the colonists transformed into revolutionaries against the mother country of Great Britain, there is one recognizable reason that drove the colonists towards independence. The colonists of America hated the implementation of taxes on the colonies, which drove the revolutionaries to act out against Great Britain. Some relevant ways the colonists approached their disgust with the taxes is through documents, events, and prominent key figures.