American Identity and Unity by the Eve of Revolution

After being slightly enriched with a spirit of independence after the French and Indian war, colonists developed a greater sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution from British laws and policies that outraged them and the rise of propaganda. For example, the Townshend revenue duties that supported parliamentary taxation and the Navigation laws discontented Americans. This then led to propaganda, whom people like Samuel Adams was zealous for. He formed local committees of correspondence in 1772 that opposed British policy and roused resistance, which eventually led to the establishment of intercolonial committees of correspondence that disseminated sentiment in favor of united action. Furthermore, the summoning of a Continental Congress in 1774, which partially broke down intercolonial barriers and gathered fifty-five distinguished men, created The Association, which was an agreement to completely boycott British goods. The fact that the 12 of 13 attending colonies agreed to this was a show of their independence and unity and established their identity away from the British. Overall, British taxation and laws that colonists thought as ridiculous fueled their discontent and roused resistance, and eventually propelled them to rebel against the British once they pushed into Concord.