Final answer:
Option (a), Great Britain increased its control over the American colonies after the French and Indian War by imposing new taxes like the Stamp Act, enforcing the Intolerable Acts, and stationing troops, which agitated the colonists and eventually contributed to the revolutionary movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Great Britain's Tightened Control Over the Colonies
Following the French and Indian War, Great Britain tightened control over the colonists in several ways. The British government sought to defray the costs of protecting and maintaining the colonies, as well as paying off war debts. Measures included imposing new taxes such as the Stamp Act, enforcing the Intolerable Acts, and stationing British troops within the colonies. These actions deeply frustrated the colonists, leading to agitation and ultimately the revolutionary upheaval that birthed the United States.
Additionally, British decisions around trade, taxation, and policy signified a seismic shift from the era of salutary neglect to one of direct imperial governance. Acts like the Sugar and Stamp Acts were particularly odious to the colonists because they represented an overreach by the British into the internal affairs and self-governance of the colonies, deemed unacceptable under their understanding of the British constitution.