The New American Identity
The New American Identity
The period 1730-1763 was incredibly important in helping to create the colonist’s new American identity because of social, economic, and political factors preceding and during The French and Indian War which occurred 1754-1763.
The first colonists to arrive in the New World were Puritans seeking religious freedom. These immigrants wanted to break away from the Church of England and did so by residing in Holland for several years and then voyaging to the New World. Already from the start, the people that settled in the colonies had an independent mind set. Colonists were seeking freedom, whether it was religious freedom, freedom to start up their own businesses, or freedom from being second class citizens under the established class system in England. Nonetheless, the independent mindset only expanded as the colonies grew. In 1700 there were twenty English subjects for a single American colonist. As time went by and the population grew rapidly in the colonies, there were only three English subjects to one colonist by 1775. This increased North American population set the stage for a shift in the balance of power between the New World colonies and their ruler, Britain. With the new generations of colonists, many grew up believing they were already independent due to their ancestor’s strong, independent mind-set and the fact that Britain had been exerting little control over the colonists.
For over 130 years England left the colonists alone due to Salutary Neglect. This neglect from England caused the colonists to form habits of self-government. The colonists became active in local politics. Colonial assemblies developed and were elected by popular vote. By the habits of self-government, colonists developed a mentality as independent individuals that could self-govern themselves. One major political factor that resulted because of the French and Indian War was the