Final answer:
England responded to the 13 colonies' demands for self-government and representation with indifference and resistance, holding to the belief in virtual representation. As opposition in the colonies grew due to actions like the Intolerable Acts, British measures like the Conciliatory Proposition failed to appease colonial demands for actual representation, leading to the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
England viewed the cries for self-government and more representation in the 13 colonies with a mix of indifference, legal rationale, and eventually, resistance. The concept of virtual representation was cited by the British to justify their governance over the colonies, suggesting that Parliament represented all British subjects' interests, including those in the colonies, irrespective of their actual presence in the governing body.
The belief in, and the practice of, self-government was deeply ingrained in colonial society, rooted in traditions such as the Mayflower Compact and the establishment of colonial assemblies like Virginia's House of Burgesses. British responses to colonial petitions and protests, such as the imposition of the Intolerable Acts and George III's declaration that "blows must be exchanged" to resolve the escalating conflict, further fueled the colonies' discontent.