In 1607, when the first colony was founded in Jamestown, Virginia, the colonists were still essentially British subjects living in America. They were ruled by the overseas king and in exchange for the protection provided by Britain, they respected and obeyed the monarch's decisions. However, when thirteen colonies were eventually founded and developed, an American identity began to emerge along with American ideals that diverged from British ones. As the American colonies developed, the British king strove to maintain control over his overseas colonies, eventually leading to conflict between America and Great Britain and arguments within the American Continental Congress over independence. While the Continental Congress was unwilling to break its allegiance to the king and the mother country due to the protection that Great Britain had provided to the colonies as well as the jobs and status that some citizens had due to ties to Great Britain , the Continental Congress was ultimately willing to break its allegiance to the king and the mother country due to unjust colonial repressions such as taxes and the king's ignorance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay When Columbus first discovered the New World in 1492, the Spanish-dominated colonization. However, England, after the unification of the country and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, slowly rose to dominance, overpowering the Spaniards. The colonies, therefore, had the protection of the great military power of their mother country. For example, France, which had also colonized America, posed a constant threat to the colonies in terms of territory, but was driven out of North America during the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century. Breaking allegiance to the king and the mother country, therefore, would not only eliminate strong military protection of the colonies but also create military opposition between the colonies and America. Since there was no official U.S. Army at the time, many believed it was impractical and dangerous to go to war against such a massive and experienced army. Furthermore, many high-ranking Americans benefited from connections with Great Britain. The British monarch gave them more power to rule the colonies and they were generally much wealthier. These people, therefore, did not want to break their loyalty to Britain for fear of losing their status and money. Despite its reluctance to declare independence, the Continental Congress was ultimately willing to break its allegiance to king and motherland as unjust colonial repressions grew ever stronger and American ideals drifted further and further away from British ones. As the colonies developed, freedom and equality were emphasized for the freemen of the country. The colonists were therefore offended when the king attempted to tighten his hold on the American colonies. in March 1765, to reduce some of Britain's debts, the Stamp Act was passed, which declared that all colonial documents had to use a specific paper on which there was a tax. In May 1765 the Quartering Act was passed, according to which the colonial assemblies had to pay for supplies to Great Britain. The colonists resented these taxes as they were being taxed without consent. At the time, Britain advocated virtual representation, meaning a British representative made decisions for the colonies with the “welfare” of the colonists in mind. However, the colonists, who had developed more democratic and widespread participation in elections or voting, did not feel represented and therefore called for the repeal of taxes. However,.