Question

What evidence indicates that colonists continued to think of themselves as British subjects throughout this era? What evidence suggests that colonists were beginning to forge a separate, collective “American” identity? How would you explain this shift?

Answer 1

• A) The First Continental Congress refer to George III as "Most Gracious Sovereign" and to themselves as "inhabitants of the English colonies in North America" or "inhabitants of British America"indicating that they still considered themselves British subjects of the king, not American citizens.
• B) The colonist created a de facto government in the First Continental Congress
• C) The evergrowing strain between British and colonists over rights, taxation, and representation resulted in a widening gap between that British and the colonists which resulted in the formation of a new identity
• D)The First Continental Congress banned all four activities—horse races, cockfights, the theater, and elaborate funerals—and entrusted the Continental Association with enforcement. Rejecting what they saw as corruption coming from Great Britain, the delegates were also identifying themselves as standing apart from their British relatives.