Adam Jones

Professor Myers

HIS 110 American History

10 October 2024

The
Development of a Unique Identity in Colonial America

America was undergoing quite a bit of change from the 1760s to the 1780s. These two

decades were when the British colonies began to form a unique identity and stand out as a

separate entity of Great Britain. Many factors came into play setting this into motion. Tax acts,

British occupation, threats to the liberties of the colonists, and homeland propaganda, set into

motion a shift in values and how the population as a whole identified. These events brought

about a need for change which was accomplished ultimately through the revolution. The

Revolution served to unite and also divide the colonies. British rule had an unintended

consequence of fostering a new Identity among the colonists which ultimately contributed to the

revolution itself.

It all began with the Stamp Act in 1765. This was the first time that the unintended consequence

of unifying otherwise unconnected colonists gave them a chance to act together socially and

politically to end what they believed was an unjustified act. It also allowed them to proclaim

loudly an identity as defenders of British liberty. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 and was
celebrated by the colonists as a victory but this was just a small battle at the very beginning of a

long war that was yet to be fought.

The Townshend Acts of 1767 established by Charles Townshend was a British response to

repealing the Stamp Act. This Act meant that all consumer goods in British North America

would be taxed. Colonists believed that their liberty had come under assault because the revenue

from these taxes was taking power from their legislation. The power was being awarded to royal-

appointed governors and judges who could now freely impart parliamentary acts without fear of

pay being withheld because they no longer relied on direct payment from colonial leadership as

mentioned in paragraph 3 page 123 of the text.

In 1768 Samual Adams wrote a letter addressing this called the Massachusetts Circular.

In it, he mentioned these tax acts were implemented without the consent of the colonists being

taxed. Response to the circular was initially lukewarm among the colonists until Lord

Hillsborough, the Secretary of State for the colonies, demanded the letter be retracted

additionally promising that any endorsements would result in colonial assemblies being

dissolved. This threat discipline served to unite the colonies further and prompted a mass boycott

of British goods. Both the Sons and Daughters of Liberty worked together to support and

promote the boycott as mentioned on page 125 paragraph 2 of the text.

Lord Hillsborough decided to send 4,000 British troops to Boston to remind the colonists of the

assertion of British power and to crack down on smuggling in response to the Massachusetts
Circular. John Hancock supported the Sons of Liberty’s efforts to continue smuggling so that the

boycott could continue despite the increased British presence. Paragraph 1 of page 126 describes

one of his ships, the Liberty, being seized which caused a riot in 1768, and clashes continued

over the next few years.

On March 5th, 1770 things got deadly. Bostonians began throwing snowballs, rocks, and stones

at British soldiers who eventually fired into the mob killing 5 people. This event became known

as the Boston Massacre. The Massacre was propagandized by the Sons of Liberty in an attempt

to further unite the colonists against British rule.

Up to this point, we start to notice the unintended consequences of British rule attempting

to maintain power and control over the colonies. The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, Massachusetts

Circular, and the Boston Massacre all created shared experiences among colonists from many

different backgrounds. And they all felt their liberty was under attack this was a major factor in

unifying them and cultivating the Unique American Identity that desired freedom from a ruler

that most colonists felt viewed them as an economic commodity. These events all happened

during a five-year span in rapid succession which helped build momentum to unite for a common

cause.

After the colonist demonstrated their protest of taxation in the Boston Tea Party

Parliament decided to crack down on the colonies even more with the Coercive Acts which

included 4 major Acts. The Boston Port Act served to shut down Boston harbors until restoration
was paid for the lost goods due to the tea party. The Massachusetts Government Act placed the

colonial government under the direct control of the crown. The Administration of Justice Act

which was a measure to crown officers away from hostile juries comprised of colonists. And

finally, the Quartering Act which allowed British troops to be housed in occupied buildings.

Paragraph 2 of page 131 refers to colonists as “American Patriots”, and this was the first

time I had seen the colonists referred to as such. I believe the biggest accomplishment of the

Coercive acts was pushing colonists to this breaking point birthing their Identity as Patriots and

separating them from the crown. The Coercive Acts were coined the Intolerable Acts by the

Patriots and Disaffection for the crown began to spread among the colonies.

1774 is when the American Revolution gained traction created by a growing culture of

people who believed themselves to be separate from the crown and willing to defend their

liberties as a whole. The first continental congress was made up of 12 of the 13 colonies

(Georgia’s Royal Governor blocked them). They met on September 5, 1774 – October 14, 1774,

exactly 250 years ago from the date I am writing this. It was during this time the Declaration of

Resolves was created which was a demand to repeal all of the acts passed since 1773. The First

Continental Congress succeeded in establishing a government network to oppose royal authority

and unify the colonies.

Two years after the Declaration of Resolves was written congress signed the Declaration

of Independence. The first paragraph of page 140 in the text states that the representatives who
signed the Declaration asserted that they “Mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes,

and our sacred honor.” I believe that assertion sums up the colonial culture and a uniquely

American identity that directly contributed to the American Revolution.

Despite the colonies uniting to stand against British rule the population still remained

divided. There were three divisions in the colonies. Separatists, Loyalists, and the Apathetic

neutrals. Some historians disagree but of the 2.5 million that made up the population, it was a

fairly even one-third split among all three groups. I think this added another level of uniqueness

to the colonist's identity because you had about as much unity as you did division. And while I

would agree that Britain is responsible for cultivating this new American identity, I think it was

the colonist's response to British rule that solidified who the population was and what they would

become during the revolution itself. I understand the Unique American Identity to be one that

valued freedom, liberty and overall independence from outside rule.