On this episode of Our American Stories, after the French and Indian War, Britain emerged victorious, but deeply in debt. Parliament believed the colonies should help pay the bill. Many colonists believed that demand crossed a line.

In Episode 4 of our ongoing Story of America Series, Hillsdale College professor Bill McClay, author of Land of Hope, explains how new taxes, imperial control, and growing resentment collided with powerful cultural forces already at work in the colonies. The Great Awakening emphasized individual conscience. The Enlightenment elevated reason and self-rule. Together, they reshaped how Americans saw authority, liberty, and themselves.

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