Colonists Sense Of A Collective British Identity During The Years Before 1764

How or why did the colonists’ sense of a collective British identity change during the years before 1764? British colonists mainly felt connected to Britain for two reasons. One, they shared the same culture and beliefs, and secondly, Britain was once their home country at one point. As newly formed American’s however, they felt as though their rights were being violated by the British, and as such, their identity started to take a new shape and form a new purpose, which was revolution and patriotism, which in return caused them to fight for what they believed in more and more. The colonists' sense of identity and unity as Americans was further developed when they decided to unite in order to fight the British.
Many people who lived in the colonies were not English; they were German, Dutch, Swedish, Jewish, Scots-Irish, and French; which meant that some people were sure to be a mixture of many different ethnic groups. This diverse group of people united to fight for their rights, which ultimately led to the creation of a separate identity. During the American Enlightenment, life was more explained by and

Some ideas that generated during the Enlightenment was the fact that reason was more powerful over religion and the idea of Deism. During the Great Awakening, the fact that there was a lack of individual engagement in church services also challenged religious and political authorities in the British colonies. American people would now begin to think for themselves and they would soon realize that they didn't need Britain to function. This would ultimately lead to Britain having less authority over the colonies and therefore would weaken their influence in the colonial political society, while also losing their strict religious control over the colonies due to the idea of religious freedom that the Enlightenment brought