Boston Tea Party

The end of the French and Indian War and the attempt by colonists to make amends with King George III reinforced British identity throughout the American colonies. However, things such as the Declaration of Independence, the Boston Tea Party, the first Continental Congress, and Common Sense by Thomas Paine led to a unity and identity shift among the colonists in America. Therefore, there was more of an identity and unity change in the colonies instead of a continuity. At the end of the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, there remained a strong loyalty to the British among the colonists. There was also a continuity of disunity among the colonists as well. The French and Indian War ended in 1763 and occurred between Great Britain and France. The war primarily occurred because of disputes over American land. At the end of the war, there was a British victory over the French. Even though the British gained control of new land, the war still costed a lot of money because of the cost of having soldiers, supplies, and weapons. This resulted in new taxes that the colonists would have to pay. For example, the Stamp Act created a tax on items such as newspapers, licenses, and other legal documents. This is just one example of heavy taxation and limits of self-government by the British which caused disunity among the colonists. Many
The Boston Tea Party was a protest by the Sons of Liberty, a group of colonists who were against British taxes and regulations, specifically the Tea Act. They destroyed a ship full of tea chests sent by the East Asia Company by throwing them into the sea. This was not an irrational event, but one that was well organized. The Boston Tea Party became an iconic event promoting the American Revolution along with the growth of unity among the colonists. Because of this event and others like it, the first Continental Congress was