Autonomy In British Colonial Life

Between 1607 and 1763, British Colonial life began to develop in North America. Unlike the original British colonists, who pledged allegiance to England, a new and virile race of people arose, spurring the beginning of a new type of colonial thinking. By 1775 these new American colonists, fueled by their comfort with limited autonomy, distance from England, and their growing population and diversity, built a new nationality, serving as the catalyst for the American Revolution and the struggle for Independence.

When these colonists first settled in North America, they were granted a form of limited autonomy. This was laid forth first in the Mayflower compact, allowing for localized decisions and majority rule. It must be noted that this was

Unlike French and Spanish colonies, it was not a requirement to be English in order to settle in the English colonies. In fact, England sent their debtors and criminals to the new world as a solution for the problems they were causing in England. People came from throughout Europe, such as the Dutch, Scots-Irish, German, French, and the English. Some of these groups held no connection to the crown. The scots-Irish has been kicked out of England and Scotland by the king, and therefore had no complacent thoughts about him and the English empire as a whole. Other groups, such as the Dutch and Germans, were never a part of the British nation at all. These separations proved to be a source of apathy to the English crown, becoming a catalyst for rebellion. With the influx of new and diverse populations, a range of religions prospered. Religions such as the Puritans, Pilgrims, Quakers, Catholics, and Jews, who had faced persecution from their respective governments came to the colonies to seek religious toleration. Some colonies, such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island offered total religious freedom, while colonies like Maryland allowed religious toleration for all those who believed in the divinity of Jesus. The population doubled every twenty-five years with the growth of the New England family unit, as well as the importation of slaves and indentured servants to the Chesapeake. The colonies’ population was exploding, full of young and diverse peoples. These people, who held no allegiance to the crown, would ultimately serve as a crucial catalyst for the American Revolution, and become the backbone of a new American