It's important to keep in mind that colonial history covers a long span of time, with the first successful English colony in Jamestown being originally established in 1607. Later colonies would be created (or conquered) throughout the 1600s, with the last of the Thirteen Colonies, Georgia, emerging in the Eighteenth Century. Colonization unfolded across an expansive time-frame.

In general, colonials perceived themselves as loyal English subjects. From that perspective, it can be said that cultural ties between the two remained strong. However, in practical terms, the distances between England and the colonies were so vast, some degree of divergence became inevitable. For much of this history, England found the task of administrating these colonies across the Atlantic too difficult to be pragmatically feasible and thus allowed the colonies a great deal of self-governance. Even in the case of Royal Governors, the problem of distance would have still come into effect: remember, the governors would still have resided within the colonies and thus been influenced by local interests.

Thus, there does seem to have been a tension at play. On the one hand, the colonials continued to perceive themselves as loyal English (or British) subjects, guaranteed the same rights and privileges that were enjoyed by their counterparts across the Atlantic. However, at the same time, the distance between Europe and the colonies meant that contact between the two remained generally limited through much of this history. Thus, it is worth asking to what degree these two societies may well have been moving in different directions.

Nevertheless, 1763 was certainly a turning point in this history. In the immediate short term, the war against France created a wave of pro-British enthusiasm throughout the colonies. However, in the aftermath of that conflict, reeling under debt, Britain began to turn towards more interventionist colonial policies. Seeking to prevent conflict with the Native Americans, the Proclamation of 1763 sought to prevent settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. It would be followed by various tax bills, which would only inflame colonial sentiment against Britain. This situation would further escalate, eventually resulting in the Revolutionary War.