What made the English settlers who came to the New World (America) make the transition from Englishmen abroad to Americans, and what made them come together in the end for a Revolution?

Essay by jennifer189A, December 2003

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The English and Parliament did a lot of injustices to the colonial people. England's greediness is what caused the "Englishmen abroad" to make the transition to be Americans. Who could blame them for wanting to break their ties with the Crown and call themselves American. The colonists produced their own things and England was jealous and wanted to kill colonial competition, so they took advantage of the colonists and took their things. The Americans were already doing all the work for themselves. They set up their own government and a makeshift army. What did they need England for, taxes?

The king and parliament began by increasing their control over colonial affairs. Parliament added articles such as fur, copper, hemp, tar and turpentine to the list of items produced in the colonies that had to be shipped to England before being exported to another. This was an attempt to regulate the economy.

Colonies were free to run local affairs but had to send raw materials and buy goods from the Mother country, England. In 1660, the Enumerated Act was put into effect. Now tobacco, cotton, indigo and sugar were added to the list of things that could only go to England. England soon dominated the colonist's production of woolen cloth, beaver hats and finished iron products. Eventually Parliament passed the Molasses Act to stop trade between New England and the French West Indies, and raises taxes on molasses. Merchants became smugglers, defying royal authority.

England spawned a war with Spain to continue its drive toward commercial domination of the Atlantic basin. The colonies helped fight in the French and Indian War. England and France fought for control of North America from 1689 to 1763. England tried to tax the colonists for the war. The British and colonists won a battle that...