To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?

Most of the first settlers in America came from England and considered themselves to be Englishmen. At first they relied on their mother country for money, supplies and protection. As the colony became larger and more populous, people gradually started feeling as if they were a separate nation. By the eve of the Revolution the patriotism had built up to such an extent, that the colonists believed America was self-sufficient enough to exist as an …

…have become an independent country, anyone who comes to North America shall not be an European but an American. To conclude, American people gradually began to feel as a separate nation from England. Though the Americans shared much in common - culture, religion, and their common opposition of British rule, they still were somewhat reluctant to unite as a single country, even though they did unite and successfully overthrew the British, establishing the United States.