I think the major reason why American colonists were different is because they came to a new land to flee persecution from their government. In what I have learned about societies forming colonies, many colonies were formed in other countries because a nation had control of that country. Take the Greek empire for example. The Greek citizens moved to counties that Greece had invaded and dwelt among those people and learned from them as well. In the Americas no one had really formed a colony or claimed the land for their country. Hopefully this helps.