Final answer:
The American Revolution was not the initial attempt to assert an American identity; this identity had been developing long before the Revolution through colonial experiences and resistance to British policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Revolution was not the first attempt on the part of Americans to assert an American identity, so the correct answer to the question is b) No. American identity began to develop over a century of colonial experience before the outbreak of the Revolution. This can be seen in the formation of local institutions and the early challenges to the British Parliament's right to tax the colonies without representation.
By the time of the American Revolution, colonists had formed their own institutions such as the Continental Congress and had begun to adopt political ideas that were divergent from British rule. British efforts to consolidate control over its colonies stoked the fire of resistance among colonists who sought to maintain their established liberties and local autonomy. Thus, the sentiments that drove the American Revolution had been fermenting for some time before they coalesced into a unified struggle for independence.