Unity and Identity of American Colonists

Despite their geographical, economic, and cultural differences, on the eve of the Revolution American colonists had greatly developed their sense of unity and their identity as a nation through their common grievances towards the British crown. After a number of tax acts and trade restrictions were passed and enforced in the colonies by British Parliament, American colonists began to take intercolonial action against the thought to be "fiscal aggression(126)". The Stamp Act Congress of 1765 incorporated delegates from the span of nine colonies towards a common goal against this taxation. Nonimportation agreements brought together Americans in a common action against the British government. Intercolonial committees of correspondence, created to spread propaganda and information, united colonists from New England to the Southern colonies. Finally, as a major act of unification and developing their sense of identity, a Continental Congress met to discuss ways of addressing common grievances. Every colony, with the exception of Georgia, sent representatives to Philadelphia for a seven week assembly. By the battles of Lexington and Concord, American colonists had developed a deep, powerful, nd organized sense of unity which would prove to be essential in gaining independence from Britain and devolping themselves as a new nation.