The Role Of The American Colonists Dbq Essay

American colonists had no thoughts about unifying the colonies. However, they had already developed a sense of identity. Colonists had many attempts to unify the colonies, but most failed. Before the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, English colonists developed their sense of identity, such as being an American, loyalist and patriot, and unity between the colonies. In the middle of the 18th century, colonists already developed a strong sense of identity. The English colonies, especially the middle colonies, were diverse in population. They classified themselves based on their ethnicity including German, French, Dutch and Scotch-Irish. European descendants were unsure if they were considered a European or an American. All ethnic groups who came from Europe to the English colonies are considered Americans (Document H). Because they paid their way to America, they would be considered as an American. One’s ethnicity can classify your identity. American colonists also identified themselves by fighting with different sides in the American

Because of the lack of unity in the colonies, the Albany Congress was formed in 1754. The goal of the Albany Congress was to unite the colonies, but it fails miserably. Benjamin Franklin’s political cartoon, “Join, or Die.” expresses his concern about unity (Document A). Some unity was shown during the Stamp Act Congress. In 1763, the Boston Tea Party occurred, which made Parliament create the Boston Port Act. This act punished the colonists for the incident that happened. Colonies, such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and South Carolina, helped Boston by donating goods (Document G). The Second Continental Congress met up in 1775 and stated that the colonies needs to unite in order to win their independence from Britain (Document E). Even though the colonies lacked in unity in the beginning, they united