Final answer:
The outlook for the future relationship between Colonists and the British was toward heightened tensions and conflicts, ultimately leading to complete separation and independence. The Crown's imposition of tighter controls and taxes, along with restrictions on westward expansion, fueled discontent and fostered an American identity that rejected British overreach.
Step-by-step explanation:
Outlook for Future Relationship Between Colonists and the British
The future relationship between colonists and the British was heading towards heightened tensions and conflicts. After the French and Indian War, American colonists expected to be rewarded with the ability to settle the lands west of the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains.
However, the British Crown had other plans. Britain needed to recover war expenses and started imposing tighter controls and taxes on the colonies, such as through the Navigation Acts, which led to increasing dissatisfaction among the colonists. British policies emphasized revenue generation rather than just regulating trade, which was not acceptable to the colonists. The idea of salutary neglect ended, and the colonists felt their rights under the British constitution were being eroded.
The debate over western lands further aggravated tensions because the British restricted westward expansion, which colonists believed was their right after their contributions in the war. Intellectual, economic, and social developments had also contributed to an increasing sense of American identity and self-sufficiency, setting the stage for eventual conflict and desire for autonomy.
Attempts at compromise, such as Joseph Galloway's proposal for an imperial union with an American Assembly, were briefly entertained but ultimately failed, displaying the independent thinking of the colonists. With the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord marking the start of armed conflict, the mutual relationship was fundamentally altered, and the outlook was clearly moving towards complete separation and independence.