The thirteen British North American colonies developed from two distinct English settlements in the early 17th century. The earliest settlement was in Jamestown, Virginia, created by a group of settlers who migrated from England searching for fortunes in 1607. On the contrary, the other settlement was in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Puritans who had escaped religious persecution in England settled there, intending to exercise freedom of worship.
Ideally, the two settlements formed the basis of the significant social, political, and economic differences between the northern and southern colonies in British North America (“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766”). Notably, various changes occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries, precisely the Great Awakening, Westward expansion, and consumerism that influenced the American Revolution (Shi and Tindall 178).
The thirteen colonies generally did not have good relationships but united against the British. There are three that support this position; the new understanding brought about by the Great Awakening, the fury against limitation for westward expansion, and the imposition of stricter control of trade and navigation regarding the emergence of consumer revolution ultimately led to the American Revolution.
Firstly, the Great Awakening played a significant role in enlightening the colonists. Despite a considerable population of the colonists not professing any religion, the Great Awakening swept across entire North America, bringing notable changes to the perception of people regarding governance, human rights, and religious matters. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were highly influential preachers who taught religious doctrine with a touch of philosophical and psychological logic (Shi and Brown 154).
As a result of the philosophical teaching, the colonists learned the idea of questioning authorities they perceived as incompetent or acting contrary to their expectations. Therefore, when the British government tried to impose harsh economic policies on the colonists, Americans quickly countered by protesting and boycotting since they were now aware of defending their rights. The Great Awakening triggered the understanding that all colonies shared the same identity and needed to stand collectively against any external oppression. Thus, the Great Awakening was not only a religious revival but a mental awakening that brought the thirteen colonies together against the British once they felt fed up with new regulations.
Secondly, the consumer revolution was another significant change that had far-reaching effects on American society. The Atlantic economy that rapidly developed in the 17th century allowed American colonies to access goods from different parts of the world, especially Europe (“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766”). The buying habits of consumer goods among ordinary people rose, fueling the consumer revolution. As the consumer culture escalated, trade thrived, primarily in the New England colonies of Massachusetts and New York, where most people engaged in business instead of farming (Shi and Brown 132). Thus, the booming trade triggered the British government to consider imposing taxes to generate revenue.
Since the strict regulations affected the entire region, the thirteen colonies collaborated against the British. The consumer revolution brought uniformity of culture across the states. Trade became the single most sought-after economic activity, which the majority of the colonists depended upon. Therefore, when the British imposed restrictions, all the colonists felt targeted and rose in unison to challenge the policies. The colonists felt that the British government was taking advantage of them by taxing them without representation. Hence, protests emerge, leading to physical fights and ultimately the Revolutionary War.
Thirdly, the westward expansion that was started by the French and Indian War’s commencement contributed to the American Revolution. The Proclamation of 1763 worsened the situation as the British failed to strike a balance on how to handle the colonists and Indian tribes (“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766”). At first, the colonies engaged in different activities, but by the conclusion of the War, “the colonists discovered a common identity in opposition to the British Empire” (Rosenbloom 16). British fought the War to eliminate both the Spanish and French as rivals for dominating the North American territories. Although the British succeeded in defeating their enemies, the victory came with a devastating cost.
First, Great Britain suffered huge loans with enormous interest per year. Second, the British had to keep a standing army in America to prevent attacks from the Native tribes and other external threats (“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766”). Keeping the army meant the country had to spend more funds on weapons, food, and general supplies. The British parliament ruled that the cost of maintaining the army be transferred to the colonies, which elicited anger and discontentment across the thirteen colonies. The limitation of westward expansion angered the colonists as most of them saw the region as a land of opportunities. Thus, the changes influenced the thirteen colonies’ coming to fight against the British directly and indirectly.
In short, notable changes occurred between the 17th and 18th centuries, which led the colonies to collaborate during the American Revolution. Specifically, the events that influenced Americans the most were the Great Awakening, the consumer revolution, and the westward expansion. The Great Awakening, for instance, played a significant role in enlightening the colonists about their rights, and freedoms, and the importance of questioning traditional authorities. Due to the philosophical and psychological rationale learned from the religious revival, the Americans were able to apply the concepts in challenging the British government when harsh economic laws were instituted.
The colonists realized they had the responsibility and right to question the authorities concerning the harsh trade restrictions imposed on them. Forcing the colonists to pay the British standing army, limiting their expansion through the Proclamation of 1763, and imposing stricter control of trade infuriated the colonists, at the same time uniting them against the British. What infuriated the colonists more is the lack of representation in the parliament. The British did not allow them to elect representatives that would influence the policymaking process in the British parliament on their behalf. Fortunately, the enlightenment from the Great Awakening had taught the colonists their vital role in checking the authorities. In the end, the thirteen colonies fought on the same side against the British government during the American Revolution.
Works Cited
“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance, 1763-1766.” Library of Congress. Web.
Rosenbloom, Joshua L. “The Colonial American Economy.” Iowa State University, 2018. Web.
Shi, David E., and George Brown Tindall. America: A Narrative History. WW Norton & Company, 2016.
Weingast, Barry R. “War, Trade, and Mercantilism: Reconciling Adam Smith’s Three Theories of the British Empire.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018.