Changes

At the [[Albany Congress]] of 1754, [[Benjamin Franklin]] proposed that the colonies be united by a Grand Council overseeing a common policy for defense, expansion, and Indian affairs.  While the plan was thwarted by colonial legislatures and King [[George II]], it was an early indication that the British colonies of North America were headed towards unification.  Franklin did not give up; more than anyone, he invented the idea of a United States of America.

At the [[Albany Congress]] of 1754, [[Benjamin Franklin]] proposed that the colonies be united by a Grand Council overseeing a common policy for defense, expansion, and Indian affairs.  While the plan was thwarted by colonial legislatures and King [[George II]], it was an early indication that the British colonies of North America were headed towards unification.  Franklin did not give up; more than anyone, he invented the idea of a United States of America.

===Great Awakening===

===Great Awakening===

The French and Indian war took on a new significance for the North American colonists in Great Britain when [[William Pitt the elder]] decided that it was necessary to win the war against France at all costs. For the first time, North America was one of the main theatres of what could be termed a "world war".  During the war, the status of all the British Colonies (including the thirteen colonies) as part of the British Empire was made truly apparent, as British military and civilian officials took on an increased presence in the lives of Americans. The war also increased a sense of American unity in other ways. It caused men, who might normally have never left their colonies, to travel across the continent, fighting alongside men from decidedly different, yet still "American," backgrounds. Throughout the course of the war, British officers trained American ones (most notably [[George Washington]]) for battle which would later benefit the American Revolution. Also, state legislatures and officials had to cooperate intensively, for arguably the first time, in pursuit of the continent-wide military effort.

The French and Indian war took on a new significance for the North American colonists in Great Britain when [[William Pitt the elder]] decided that it was necessary to win the war against France at all costs. For the first time, North America was one of the main theatres of what could be termed a "world war".  During the war, the status of all the British Colonies (including the thirteen colonies) as part of the British Empire was made truly apparent, as British military and civilian officials took on an increased presence in the lives of Americans. The war also increased a sense of American unity in other ways. It caused men, who might normally have never left their colonies, to travel across the continent, fighting alongside men from decidedly different, yet still "American," backgrounds. Throughout the course of the war, British officers trained American ones (most notably [[George Washington]]) for battle which would later benefit the American Revolution. Also, state legislatures and officials had to cooperate intensively, for arguably the first time, in pursuit of the continent-wide military effort.

The British and colonists triumphed jointly over a common foe.  The colonists' loyalty to the mother country was stronger than ever before.

The British and colonists triumphed jointly over a common foe.  The colonists' loyalty to the mother country was stronger than ever before. The war produced prosperity, as royal officials hired American troops and sent in well paid British troops. The French were defeated, and the British took Canada. Most important, the military threat from any foreign power ended, and the colonies no longer needed the protection of the Royal Navy. The British army handled Indian affairs on the frontier, so Indians were no longer a major threat to the Americans.

 

 

===Ties to the British Empire===

===Ties to the British Empire===