During and after the American Revolution, the 13 colonies began to develop an American identity which set them apart from Great Britain. Colonists began to stop thinking of themselves as British citizens and started to think of themselves as Americans.
Nationalism—The feeling of pride in one’s country. (Patriotism) The colonist began to feel like a separate country from Great Britain and began to take pride in calling themselves Americans instead of British citizens.
Egalitarianism—The belief in the equality of all of a country’s citizens.
The colonists claimed to base their early government and ideas on egalitarianism. Everyone who was a citizen was equal no matter how wealthy they were.