Pre-Independence Identity in the United States

By the eve of the American Revolution, the colonists had developed a strong sense of unity and identity separate from that of the mother country, Great Britain. The American identity was shaped through liberty – as the Americans in turn realised that their lack of liberty was due to control from Britain, their identity slowly developed into one in stark contrast and which opposed the nation of Britain and its supporters – as well as being willing to fight for liberty and against oppression. Unity amongst the colonies was prominent and essential in the American independence movement and played a large role in the collaborative and interwoven nature which defined American identity.

Liberty was a key component of American identity. The colonists held the firm belief that they should be able to vote for their laws – which included taxes – as expressed in the eventual slogan, “no taxation without representation.” In the Philadelphia Resolutions from October 16th, 1773, we can clearly see that the Americans believe that they can only be taxed by representatives. The system in place at the time meant that Parliament across the Atlantic ocean decided on new laws (and enforced taxes) on the colonies without any representation. As can be seen in “The Philadelphia Resolutions: October 16, 1773,” the Americans state that “the duty imposed by Parliament upon tea landed in America is a tax on the Americans, or levying contributions on them without their consent.” Despite a governmental system in place in each colony which was very democratic in nature (the colonial assemblies), the shift away from these and instead the shift to direct control from Parliament over the colonies angered many colonists due to the fact they felt like their individual liberties of having their voices represented were being taken away – and with that, their liberties.

As the British continued to exert increasing amounts of control over the American colonies, the Americans in turn grew further apart from their “rulers” in terms of their identity. The fact that the British believed that they could treat their people as slaves, as claimed by the Americans, was unacceptable and caused the American identity to become one of opposition to the British nation. In the Editorial from the Pennsylvania Packet (1779), we can see that the Americans are starkly opposed to British rule – “drive far from you every baneful wretch who wishes to see you fettered with the chains of tyranny. Send them where they may enjoy their beloved slavery to perfection.” The fact that the British were unwilling to give the Americans their liberty made the Americans opposed to the British not only in liberty but in other areas. Their practice of denying the Americans liberty was seen by the Americans as an act of slavery, and many of the Americans discriminated against the Tories and Loyalists who wanted the American colonies to remain part of the British empire. This discrimination and hatred also shaped the American identity and can be seen in the Editorial from the Pennsylvania Packet (1779) where the writer states that we should “instantly banish every Tory from among you” and also in the Philadelphia Resolutions from October 16th 1773, where the writer states “that whoever shall, directly or indirectly, countenance this attempt or in any wise aid or abet in unloading, receiving, or vending the tea sent or to be sent out by the East India Company while it remains subject to the payment of a duty here, is an enemy to his country.” Both passages express what would become a key part of the American identity and would serve as a unifying force – a hatred for the British and their supporters.

Another key part of the American identity which developed on the eve of the American Revolution and was in fact one of the pillars of the reasons for the revolution was the belief that people should be willing to fight for their liberty. Patrick Henry, in his speech “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!” showed that he was willing to fight for his life for liberty. This is clearly expressed when he asks in his speech “is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?” This demonstrates the fact that the American identity had formed before the Revolution into one not only defined by a want for liberty and resentment against British rule, but also into an identity which was willing to take action in order to stay to the values of the people – such as the fact that the colonists were willing to fight for their independence and liberty. Unity was an aspect which in many ways was part of the American identity and resulted from a mixture of the other components. The belief in liberty and the resentment towards British rule was common to all colonies and acted as a uniting force. As expressed in Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” political cartoon, the states needed to work together if any of them wanted to achieve independence. The formation of a common enemy – the British – and a common goal – the establishment of independence and liberty for the new country – were what allowed the different colonies to collaborate. The sense of unity which was brought by the “Join or Die” cartoon showed that the only way to win the struggle for independence was by working together. The concept of the states working together was already a clear part of the American identity before the Revolution and was a pillar which the American Revolution heavily relied on.

In conclusion, the Americans had already established a unique identity and strong unity at the dawn of the American Revolution. The American identity was homogenous throughout the colonies – it was an identity of a people who shared the common goal of liberty and were willing to fight for it, and one of the ways in which they achieved this (which also became a key part of their identity) was through hatred of the British. Similarly, the common identities across the colonies and messages such as the “Join or Die” cartoon reinforced the idea and strengthened the collaboration between the colonies which was essential for the American Revolution, a movement which relied on collaboration of colonies with similar goals and identities.

Works Cited

1. "The Philadelphia Resolutions: October 16, 1773," The Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia: B. Franklin and H. Meredith, 1729–1778), accessed October 1, 2021, The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/phil_res_1773.asp.

2. Editorial, Pennsylvania Packet, August 5, 1779, available in Frank Moore, Diary of the American Revolution, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner, Grand Street, 1859), 168, https://play.google.com/books.

3. Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death!" (speech), St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia, March 23, 1775, Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may29.html.

4. Benjamin Franklin, "Join or Die," illustration in the Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754, Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002695523/.