Colonial Self Rule

From the outset, the English colonies population rapidly grew, along with the different kinds of people of diverse nationalities that had come from all over Europe for the freedom not offered in their homelands and for better opportunities. The colonists, however, were being ruled by a country an ocean away, and after years of development and flourishing under Britain’s rule, they were prepared both economically as well as politically to cut off British rule to gain the independence that would be theirs through rebellions, and eventually a revolution.Colonial self-rule, the Great Awakening, and the consequences of the French Indian War caused these English colonists to begin moving in the direction of declaring their independence. The colonies had experience with self-rule, and developed even more skills as time went along. The British let the colonies arrange their own governments to stimulate commerce among the colonies, and this would keep the colonies obedient to Britain.

However, after years of self-control away from Britain, the colonists became accustomed to this freedom of governing themselves, and relied only on themselves, becoming more independent.The colonists did not have the same rights and priileges as Englishmen, and the ideas of separation from Britain began to heat up among the colonists. Britain began to tighten their control on the colonies, and this sparked rebellions, and eventually a revolution. America was their home; not Great Britain, and the colonists would soon fight for their well-deserved independence for their home land. The Great Awakening, occurring in the mid-eighteenth century, was what brought identity to the colonies through a widely spread religious revival.The Great Awakening helped prepare the colonists for a revolution through the vision they all shared of freedom, despite their different religious beliefs.

The Great Awakening occurred at a time where questions arose about the role of man and his spiritual experience along with his personal relationship with God. The Great Awakening showed a freedom in logic and thought, and this applied to both choosing to worship or not to worship, as well as creating a mindset that made the colonists come to realize who held political power.The movements also cut even more of the ties of Great Britain on the colonies, and this weakened their authority further. This free-thinking that occurred about religion soon blossomed into thinking about the unfair treatment they received from the British, and the nation that would soon come to be.

The French and British vied over the area between the Mississippi River and the Appalachians, and this sparked the French and Indian War when the Indians living on this land allied with the French in the battle for dominance of this area, in fear that the powerful British would eradicate them from their homes.Although France had its victories in the war, Great Britain’s ultimate victory in the French and Indian War meant that there would be territorial expansion in the land they had taken from the French, but this victory came at a cost. The British were deeply in debt from the pricey war, and decided that since they had defended the colonists, they should pay the British back in return. This began disputes, but the colonies had also benefited from fighting alongside the British.After the war, the colonists had learned their own power and capability, along with the weaknesses of the undefeatable British army that they were no longer dependent on.

With this knowledge, when the colonists were soon at their breaking point when the British had imposed acts to collect money to pay off the expensive war and the colonists cried ‘taxation without representation”, they felt more confident about fighting back. This confidence ultimately resulted in the fight for independence.As time went on, more thoughts and values were generated about politics and religion in the colonies. They wanted to take governing themselves to the next level. The colonists were nearly prepared to declare what was rightfully theirs-independence. The events leading up to the American Revolution paved the way for the colonists to build up enough courage and bravery to face the British.

Colonial self-rule, the Great Awakening, and the consequences of the French Indian War caused these English colonists to begin moving in the direction of declaring their independence.