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Though many believe that the influx of taxes was the prime reason the ideas of self-government arose in American colonies. However, the most influential causes were the Enlightenment and Salutary Neglect. Prior to 1754-1776 Americans were in a period of Salutary Neglect where they experienced a nation without having to be under the huge rule of English, during this time they were able to rule their nation with independent rule. Once the period of Salutary Neglect ended, Americans were once again under heavy rule by the British Monarchy and this made them miss having control over their own nation. England began to enforce stricter taxes, such as the Stamp Act and the Navigation Acts, these made the colonies furious as they had no say in what they would be taxed on. In addition to this, the colonies were also influenced by the ideals from the Enlightenment, they began craving to incorporate these ideals into their nation. The only way to do such was to get rid of the burden of England's control.

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As the first colonies were on their way to becoming a country they dealt with many problems between them and Britain. From the earliest time when Britain sent over people for Jamestown, it was just for economic reasons but Britain didn’t do much to help and they almost failed. Time and time again Britain let them alone to fend for themselves yet when the seven years war took place Britain expected the colonies to pay it back because it was them the British were defending. However, to the American colonists, this was not so simple. The Americans were used to making the day-to-day problems while Britain did the more big picture problems. In fact when Britain passed the navigation acts but didn’t hold them up very much the Americans thought they had more power than they did leading to salutary neglect which then lead to Britain enforcing the laws even stricter. These problems snowballed quickly and this lead to the growing tension between Britain and America.

Prior to the American Revolution, the American colonies were used to a self-governing system. However, once the British realized that they were in deep debt they thought that they could use the colonies’ growth to benefit themselves. They had the idea of taxing them and putting tariffs on their imports and exports allowing the British to pay the war debt back. Supposedly, this was a reason the colonies were so angry, however, this is not one of the main causes of the war. Some of the main causes would be the fact that after America had been able to vote their own government representatives they were never truly in the conversation when it came to taxes and tariffs that came from parliament and when they asked if they could be they were told that they were kept in mind leading to more anger from the colonies. These Northern colonists were the main focus of these taxes because they had the ports, the southern and middle colonies didn’t really see the outcome of these taxes. These growing tensions between the colonists and the British not only led to the ideas of a revolution but birthed the pamphlet Common Sense which united the 3 regions to oppose the British power together through the ideology of self-government and equal representation.

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During the pre-revolution era, the colonies experienced a period of salutary neglect in which the colonists practiced a form of democracy. However, following the French and Indian War, Britain imposed a series of taxes to pay off British debt, in which they had no representation. Additionally, the British also created acts, such as the Tea Act and Townshend Act. This, ultimately, triggered propaganda, such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine. Although propaganda influenced the many colonists’ reactions regarding British imperial authority, it was the threat of no choice, which came about after the period of salutary neglect, that directly fueled the anger in the colonies. Therefore, the reaction from colonists stemmed from having "no say" as opposed to other factors during the time period.

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The British Monarchy controlled the colonies' trade in almost every way during 1660 - 1775. The British controlled specifically who the colonies could trade with, only the British. Especially the raw good imports from the colonies, a huge boost for the British only. Then the British also controlled what they could produce, and how much of something they could produce. Not only did they control where and what they could trade, they also controlled the routes and how the trade action happened. With this control they created Acts to put upon the colonists to impose this massive trade control in America during this time. Although the idea of mercantilism created huge overseas trade routes, improving British North America immensely, this created the British monarchy to have a powerful grip on the Americans. The trade increased in ways of more products like tobacco and slaves, increasing the economy, growing the colonies. This influence of the British Monarchy created taxes on goods and a stronger hold on what the colonists did, this created a rebellion and anger from the American colonists. Therefore, the Commercial exchange in America created extensive change for the colonies to become a world wide trading center, creating economic change for not only America but also Britain, the mother country.

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With North American colonies building themselves up there was a period in which they were not under supervision known as salutary neglect however this all started coming down with the newly imposed taxes due to the french and indian war to get these debts payed the British struck down hard  with taxing the way the North gains money(mercantalisim), this upset the North American colonies and they started a revolution in retaliation

North American colonies were a new and growing empire with unimaginable possibilities with their resources and land; however, the main factor of their growth was commercial exchange systems with the British which imported raw goods to increase wealth and power in america. Therefore, By being a strong exporter of goods to big European nations this had a monumental impact on the growth and development of America's new and upcoming economy.

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Prior to the American Revolution, British and Americans experienced different periods of tranquility and divisiveness. The British first gave autonomy towards American growth, however, their continued implementation of taxes boosted conflict between the British and American people. With this heavy taxation, the British reflected a more monarchy based government, withdrawing America’s aim for more representation within their government. Present in the 1760’s, salutary neglect aided the American colonies’ realization of opposing British rule. Although disagreement from taxes greatly influenced the shift of the states towards the American Revolution in 1776, in response to no taxation without representation, it was the American colonists' desires of freedom which boosted the war. Therefore, it was the want and belief of enlightenment, independence, and a representative authority that promoted America’s separation from Britain's tyrannical government and cultivated the ideas of a self-governing country.

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As Britain colonized America’s east coast, they gave the colonies freedom within their trade and life. Then as America grew Britain, America’s greatest source of income, started to enforce acts for their benefit. As these acts restricted more and more of America's trade, colonies started to realize that they cannot rely on Britain for their income. Trade systems such as the triangular trade helped colonies understand that they could thrive without the support of Britain, however, it would be hard for Britain to thrive without America’s raw materials. Although the American colonies’ greatest importer and exporter were Britain, Commercial exchange systems such as mercantilism created a thriving and independent economy for the American Colonies. Therefore the commercial exchange systems remain the largest and most impactful forces for America’s economic prosperity and their shift away from Britain.

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Following the acceptance of the new, progressive ideas that emerged in the colonies during the enlightenment period, the viewpoint and attitude American colonists held towards their governmental structure altered as development of political ideas of enlightenment regarding liberty and consent in government continued to develop. Fed up with the level of control Britain held, Colonists seeked change in their country, change in terms of the republican ideas of self-government colonists had been familiarized with. Acts placed upon colonists, like the stamp act, displeased colonists and contributed to the lack of control felt, but Americans intended to gain their independence for further reason than economic benefit, the primary objective being for the betterment of their rights and liberties. Americans weren’t after material enhancement, but for societal change- their freedom in their state of independence.

Although the taxes placed upon American colonists after The French and Indian war angered colonists and were thought to be highly unfair, the primary factors of influence towards the American colonies were the developing political ideas of enlightenment and the formation of republican ideas of self-government. Therefore, though the taxes placed on colonists by the British impacted the colonists, it was not economic inequality that led to the American colonial reaction to British imperial authority, but the political ideas of enlightenment and republicanism that had emerged in the colonies that played a significantly larger role.

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Prior to 1754, the centralized control of the Dominion of New England further strained the relationship between colonists and the British government. However, after the Glorious Revolution, the period of Salutary neglect began and tensions were temporarily smoothed over. The Treaty of Paris, marking the end of the French and Indian War brought on the end of this policy, along with an abundance of taxes to pay off war debt. The unfairness of these taxes angered the colonists enough for them to consider revolution.  Although free thinkers’ ideas, such as John Locke’s, influenced the American colonial reaction to British imperial authority a little, it was the various taxes implemented by the British government that influenced it the most.

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The British colonies in North America enjoyed a high degree of autonomy through the period of Salutary Neglect. However, after the French and Indian War, Britain was in debt and wanted the colonies to pay more taxes to cover the expenses of the war. Great Britain enabled many taxes and mercantilist policies which took away political, economic, and social freedom from the colonists. The colonies faced these new policies and acts until the American Revolution of 1776. Although the Stamp Act caused economic change in taxing all papers in the colonies it did not cause as much change as the tax on tea or the rules of the Coercive Acts. Therefore, the Stamp Act was important in fostering change in the British colonial economy but was not as influential as the Coercive Acts or the Tea Act.

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Prior to 1754, the British colonies had various forms of government. In some colonies, the King appointed a governor, but some had elected officials. Still others had a combination of the two, such as the Virginia House of Burgesses in the General Assembly. The colonies enjoyed Salutary Neglect for a time, making their own laws and avoiding many taxes. However, when Great Britain entered the French and Indian War, they began to tax the colonies. The Navigation acts and other taxes were met with outrage.

Some may say ideas of self-government were not influential to the colonies after the French and Indian War because colonists didn’t have self government, but self-government had a big impact of the colonies since anti-British propaganda and new imperialism grew after the French and Indian War.

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Many different economic and security-based policies had been in effect for a fairly large amount of time. These policies resulted in colonial anger and eventually the period of salutary neglect, where the colonies governed themselves. This period stuck in their minds as they enjoyed this freedom. However, as it was abruptly taken away many were left angry and stripped of their rights. Soon after the French and Indian war, they saw this opportunity to reclaim these freedoms.

Although some people believe that taxation after the self-government period made the colonies desire their own authority, it is actually more so the idea of controlling their own policies and representing themselves that pushed for them to resist British authority from 1754-1776.

The idea of controlling their own policies and representing themselves, paired with taxation pushed the colonies to resist the British policies and authorities prior to the war.