Unity and Identity

Unity and Identity

The period of 1750 to 1776 was a time of highly debated tension between the colonists and England. After the Seven Years War the English people Parliament passed tons of acts that angered the colonists. English influences caused problems since they created the unnecessary acts causing disputes such as the Boston massacre along with many others on a long chain of events, that caused many disputes between the England and the colonists. In response to the laws, While some stayed loyal to the British and its government most of the colonies united and formed to establish identity of America.

Colony unity was an ongoing struggle that was necessary for preserving their freedom. It was critical that the colonist put aside their differences and unite together during the French and Indian war. As early as 1754, which was the first year into the French and Indian War, the colonist began to grow in unity, it started when Pennsylvania Gazette,it emphasized the priority that the colonies need to unite. Published by Benjamin Franklin it was a cartoon that was a snake that cut into eight pieces(Document A). During the same year, Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan which was another way to try to get the colonies to unite, but it failed because several of the colonies disagreed with the idea. Though it was one of the first steps to show colonial unity.

Creating an identity was a greater challenge to the colonist than expected. In 1766, Edmund Burke, who was a British philosopher, believed that there was nothing to compared American and British the same. The ocean wide distance benefited the growing of their own identity, as it was much harder for the British to control them. Many people believed that the distance between the two would eventually dissolve the controversy(Document B).

After the Boston Tea Party the American colonists showed that they could unite in a time of need. Document C shows