Americans were British subjects before they declared their independence in July of 1776. During the Revolutionary War, the former British colonies ratified the Articles of Confederation, which created the United States of America.

Formation of the Continental Congress

In 1774, American colonists formed the Continental Congress to discuss how to secure their rights as English citizens in the wake of what they viewed as oppressive taxes, the forced quartering of British soldiers in their homes, and Parliament's dissolution of the Massachusetts colonial legislature.

Americans as British Subjects

Until the initiation of hostilities in April 1775, most American colonists considered themselves British citizens. When colonists protested the imposition of taxes, they did so in the context of protecting their traditional British liberties.

Independence

The Revolutionary War began when General Thomas Gage marched troops to Concord, Mass., to seize a colonial weapons cache in 1775. The Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence after more than a year of war, when it became clear that reconciliation with England was impossible.

Articles of Confederation

The delegates of the Continental Congress wrote the Articles of Confederation during the war, and it became the law of the land in 1781.

The U.S. Constitution

The Articles of Confederation did not create a strong enough federal government. For instance, the federal government could not pay off foreign debt or regulate trade. As a result, Americans held a Constitutional Convention in 1787, and states ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

Source:

The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society; Gary B. Nash et al.; 2004

PBS: Philadelphia 1776

Digital History: The Articles of Confederation

Resource:

Library of Congress: To Form a More Perfect Union