Ap Us History Unit 1 Dbq

Within the time frame from 1750 to 1781, historical evidence, as well as many documents, suggests that although the colonists at this time had developed a strong sense of unity, they had a weaker sense of identity. Leading up to the eve of revolution, the colonists had began developing bonds among them through unified acts against English taxes, the stamp act congress, and Townshend acts; also, organizations such as the sons and daughters of liberty had emerged. The colonists began to realize that if they all worked together, they could ultimately be a free nation, and they wouldn't have to be controlled by they English government in which they were not represented. Unity however, is not the same as identity. A sense of identity was harder

In addition to unity by the end of the revolution, the colonies had developed a definite sense of identity. According to Document H, which was published two years before the end of the revolution in 1781, becoming an American was 'by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whole labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. American identity meant being a mixture of European, Native American, and even African American blood and culture. Looking back at the times when the colonies were just being set up by the first arriving colonists, from that point, the spirit of the colonists had been that of fighters. They had fought to build a community out of nothing, and although they initially failed, they tried again. They fought the Indians numerous times in order to protect what was theirs, and during the time of the acts, towards the time of the revolution, they had fought again for what was theirs; their inalienable rights. Thus, the American identity

Even though America was now completely self-sufficient, there were still people loyal to England. Often referred to as the "Tories", they did not want to abandon their parent country. The loyalists believed that America would never survive without England's protection and guidance. Mather Byles said, "...which is better, to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away." (The Famous Mather Byles). People like him believed that creating a separate government in America would not solve any problems, but only create more new ones. Others preached that it is a shame to leave their parent country. However, since the loyalists made up a small percentage of the population and were generally rich, the majority of people rarely favored their ideas. Prior to the breakout of the Revolution, many Tories had been tarred and feathered, beaten, or were subjected to other forms of punishment.

Anglicization of the Britain’s American colonies was a big event for the course of not only American or British history, but world history. The colonists adopting many British ways and becoming very patriotic towards the “mother country” had a large effect on the events that unfolded in the late 18th century. While it is true that the American colonists were incredibly British during the beginning to the mid-18th century, the colonies had been around long enough to develop their own culture and way of doing things. The series of events and acts that were imposed on the colonists post French and Indian War got the ball rolling on what came to be known as the American Revolution. The colonists were so fed up with the way in which the British were tightening their hold on the colonies to the point where they were driven to rebellion. The combination of British and underlying American ideals in the pre-revolution era were a necessarily pre-requisite and important component of what would become the American Revolution.

American colonists mainly descended from England and were loyal to the British Crown, however, politically the decisions made in the Continental Congress and the stopping of salutary neglect angered the colonists, socially, as a result of unfair taxes, colonists from all the colonies began to rebel and thus have their interests aligned which developed a sense of social unity, and economically after many unjust acts were carried out by the British Empire, the colonies began to help one another, therefore between 1750 to 1776 colonists began to cease their loyalty towards England and develop an independent American identity.

In the years of 1775-1776 the American colonist were locked under British control and were stripped away from their rights and their freedom. During this time the Americans came together to unite and secede from the British power. Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine’s purpose revealed through the Declaration of Independence and exhibits the ideal of freedom and justice. Through these actions, determination sought forth for sovereignty.

In the years before the war for independence, a majority of the colonies were supporters of our union with the British Empire. The dangers to a young colony were numerous, and without the vast resources of the British, it is doubtful the colonies would have survived. As the years progress, the colonies developed a stronger economy, increased food productions, and developed local governments that reduced the need for a guardian empire. As the British government tried to increase its control over the colonies, a group of colonials started to think about life out from under British controls. This group eventually came to be known as the “Patriots.”

By the 1750s, the American colonies had come a long way from their original struggles and failures. They had grown in both population and economic stability. Even so, relations between the colonies and Great Britain were strained. The colonists became more and more discontented with England’s control of their political and economic affairs. The colonies were dissatisfied with the rules of British Mercantilism, or the idea that the colonies were a mere source of raw materials and market for the British mainland. This animosity for the motherland had then been seeded by the lack of economic freedom and the harsh taxes that had been set on everyday luxuries and necessities;

In the year 1764, King George III of Great Britain placed taxes on colonial America causing anger to flourish within the colonies resulting in their rebellion from the British. One-third of the colony wanted independence from Great Britain, the Patriots, while another third decided to stay loyal to the British, the loyalists/tories. The Patriots soon went to war with Britain for their independence, but the rest of the colony was reluctant to join the Patriots’ cause for various reasons. The loyalists were hesitant to join the American Revolution because of the nonideal living location and the British protected them when no one else would.

For a better part of the eighteenth century, the American colonists expressed vexation and disapproval of the "coercive " acts, which the British Government perpetrated on the colony through series of legislative acts by the British Parliament. Prior to the acts that the colonists in America termed as atrocious and oppressive, they were willing to cooperate and reaffirm loyalty to the King of England. Some of the legislations and declarations that colonists participated in was the sustenance of British soldiers in the colony, payment of import tariffs and other forms of taxes to support the British central government. These are but a few, the reasons as to why colonists objected to the mode of British rule in America. Another concern was the "Rights violations" by the English government regarding economic progress and representation. Because of these grievances, British colonists in America stepped up agitation through violation of the "tyrannical" Acts and petitions through the Continental Congress. The essay explores the grievances that Colonists in America held against the British government, in riposte to "My Dear America Cousin" letter.

The British’s strict enforcement over the American colonies never sat completely well with many of the settlers to begin with, but to go along with their control issues on how they should be ran came many more policies to ensure their restrictions. Unfortunately for Britain, more rules and regulations only increased the colony’s desperation for freedom and their rebellious behavior rather than teaching them a lesson to mind their wonderful Majesty. The colony’s rebellious outbreaks, once began, would not stop until they were completely satisfied in their way of living. These colonies’ resistance towards Britain was due to their policies that had resulted in superfluous taxing, the loss of their trading rights, and

Searching for evidence to explain the genesis of that distinctively American cultural identity that led to the events of the American Revolution, historians use the benefits of hindsight, to analyze and understand a phenomenon without which the American Revolution would have arguably never happened. Searching for evidence to explain the genesis of that distinctively American cultural identity that led to the events of the American Revolution, historians use the benefits of hindsight, to analyze and understand a phenomenon without which the American Revolution would have arguably never happened. While British North Americans colonists saw themselves in regional roles, such as Virginians, Carolinians or New Yorkers rather than Americans, late

The purpose of this essay was to embolden the American colonies to endure their resistance against the British

Prior to start of the French and Indian War, the British colonists in North American considered themselves nothing other than loyal British subjects. The unstinting colonial support for the British war effort against France is clear evidence of this fact. Analysis of primary source documents from the colonies, addressed to the King and Parliament over the next two decades, shows a gradual shift of colonial self-identification away from that of British subject, to that of "American". Examination of The Declaration of Independence, The Olive Branch Petition and The Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress in October 19th 1975 clearly indicate this trend.

“Is there a single trait of resemblance between those few towns and a great and growing people spread over a vast quarter of the globe, separated by a mighty ocean?” This question posed by Edmund Burke was in the hearts of nearly every colonist before the colonies gained their independence from Britain. The colonists’ heritage was largely British, as was their outlook on a great array of subjects; however, the position and prejudices they held concerning their independence were comprised entirely from American ingenuity. This identity crisis of these “British Americans” played an enormous role in the colonists’ battle for independence, and paved the road to revolution.