NAME: William Cumbelich CHAPTER 22, SECTION 4 Pages 640 - 645 Why was a new sense of identity growing in the colonies? By the mid-1700s, colonists had been living in America for nearly 150 years. Each of the 13 colonies had its own government, and people were used to a great degree of independence. Colonists saw themselves less as British and more as Virginians or Pennsylvanians. However, they were still British subjects and were expected to obey British law What were the Navigation Acts and why were they unsuccessful? A trade law that prevented colonists from selling their most valuable products to any country except Britain. In addition, colonists had to pay high taxes on imported French and Dutch goods When did Britain become more involved in the colonists? lives?