DBQ

The French and Indian war left Americans questioning the decisions of their mother country. Americans soon wanted to become independent and move out on their own, eventually leading to a revolution. By the eve of the Revolution Americans were more unified and banding together. There unity was shown through the Albany Congress, their resistance, the first continental congress, and finally the declaration of their independence.
The Albany Congress occurred in 1754 in Albany New York. It was here that Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan(Albany Plan of union) to unify the colonies. The picture shown in (Doc A) was printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette the same year as the congress because it was a representation of how the colonies were divided.
A major concern to American citizens was taxation without representation, as shown in (Doc B). Delegates from nine colonies met in New York and issued a declaration of rights. Stating, that Britain could not tax without representation in parliament.
A symbol of American unity would be the boycotts. The boycotts consisted of no importation and non consumption. As is (Doc D) Americans were tired of not being represented in Parliament and being given unreasonable tax increases. So they banned together and came up with the solution of boycotting.
The intolerable acts upset many colonist as shown in (Doc D). In response to these acts, the first continental congress met in 1774. By this time the delegates fell into three distinct groups known as the Radicals, Moderates, and Conservatives. They still had not mad a complete break from Britain but they were close to it.
Americans finally claimed their independence in 1774. (Doc H) was published in response to this newly found independence. Many Americans had no idea what lay in store for them and the British were highly upset. So as Hector St. John Crevecoeur put it, “ What then is the American, This new man?”
Despite the obstacles that an independent country had to face, America was prepared to take that step. Through the Albany Congress, boycotts, and the first continental congress they were now unified and ready to fight.