Why did the colonists identify themselves as British through the middle of the eighteenth century?

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Why did colonists consider themselves British?

The American colonists thought of themselves as citizens of Great Britain and subjects of King George III. They were tied to Britain through trade and by the way they were governed. Trade was restricted so the colonies had to rely on Britain for imported goods and supplies.

Why did the new American identity form in the colonies in the 18th century?

Colonial. Contributing to the emergence of a shared identity in the mid-1700s was the end of the British policy of salutary neglect. With the passage of the Sugar and Stamp Acts, the British crown was becoming more involved in the colonists' lives.

Did the colonists have an American or British identity?

Throughout the seventeenth century, when the first permanent colonies were established in America, most settlers' identities remained stubbornly “English” rather than anything that could meaningfully be called “American.” English people lived within an intricate structure of ideology, institutions, laws, and customs.

When did colonists consider themselves American?

As the other elements mingled with the English, they became increasingly like them; however, all tended to become different from the inhabitants of “the old country.” By 1763 the word “American” was commonly used on both sides of the Atlantic to designate the people of the 13 colonies.