A Leader Of Large Scale Boycotts On British Goods

Although a leader of large-scale boycotts on British goods, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had no problem drinking afternoon tea while gazing through newly-imported British glass windows in his mansion at Monticello. Actions like these, along with many others, exhibited the emergence of contradicting cultural development in the early-half of the 18th century: the continuation of closeness to English society, and the steady distancing of the American colonists from the British. For the majority of the 18th century, colonial America sprouted shocking ideas of the power of the individual through events like the Great Awakening and Enlightenment, and the emergence of unique opinions like the Whig ideology. However, the colonists continued to†¦show more content†¦The theories proposed by the Enlightenment produced doubt of King’s ultimate authority as well as interpretations of God’s word. The colonials began to believe in their right to discover aspects of their world and religion on their own term, not as their duty to the King. Nash also argues that the Awakening nurtured a subtle change in values that translated into daily life. The â€Å"revival experience† being shared in â€Å"New Light† churches created a feeling of self-worth among the people that gave them the confidence to take responsibility in religious affairs and question traditional authority (Nash 64). The new sense of independence, brought by the Great Awakening, gave the colonists the idea of â€Å"self-authority† and the ability to make choices against the predetermined laws set upon them by British rule. In turn, they distanced themselves from the Britons through the mutation of their personal beliefs. Similarly, the Enlightenment gave the colonists a feeling of individual power. Brinkley states, â€Å"†¦the Enlightenment encouraged men and women to look to themselves-not to God-for guidance as to how to live their lives and shape society. Enli ghtenment