- The colonists believed that they had a right to govern themselves. They had come to America to escape religious persecution and other forms of oppression in Europe, and they wanted to be free to live their own lives according to their own laws and customs. However, the British government still considered the colonies to be its property, and it imposed a variety of taxes and other restrictions on the colonists.
- The colonists also believed that they were entitled to the same rights and privileges as Englishmen. They had been born in England and considered themselves to be British subjects. However, the British government often treated them differently, denying them some of the same rights and privileges that Englishmen enjoyed in Britain.
- The colonists' image of themselves as a new and independent nation began to emerge during the American Revolution. The war was fought in order to secure the colonies' independence from Britain, and it resulted in the United States of America becoming a new nation.
The colonists' image of themselves as self-governing, independent people clashed with their status as colonists in a number of ways. However, the colonists were ultimately successful in fighting for their independence, and they created a new nation that reflected the values and ideals that they had fought for.