Britain and the American colonies got along fine at first. The colonies recognized the "mother contry's" right to authority over them. But beginning primarily during the French-Indian War, tension between the colonies and Britain gradually increased, eventually to the point of absolute rebellion and the creation of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
In the French-Indian War, colonists and Redcoats conflicted in several ways. The colonists that fought for the British wanted to serve under other colonists, and not the harsh British generals. Discipline was strict, and the colonists thought of themselves as volunteers. They were also lazy -- the colonists wanted women to cook and clean for them.
After the British won the war, however, it issued the Sugar Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act and Stamp Act. The colonists tolerated the first three acts, but after the Stamp Act was issued, they refused, claiming "taxation without representation" was unjust, and they wanted actual representation in Parliament, not virtual.
Colonists taunted the enforcers of the laws, causing several British officers to fire into a taunting crowd of colonists. This Boston Massacre genuinely increased the dislike of Britain, and when the Britain East India Company tried to send its taxed tea, the colonists dumped it all into the harbor. These events caused a chain reaction. Britain now wanted to punish Boston for its behavior, so it issued the Intolerable Acts (Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, and quartering was enforced). However, Britain was astounded when Boston received sympathy from the other colonies.
Enraged, King George III secretly sent General Gage to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, the two ringleaders of the Boston Tea Party, and to seize arsenals at Lexington and Concord. When the secret is found out and farmers rush to the cities' defense, George III declares the colonies officially in rebellion.
