Final answer:
The Tea Act of 1773 and the Boston Tea Party serve as specific historical events that could support Maier's argument of developing unity in the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
To support Maier's argument about the development of a unifying sense of identity among the colonists leading up to the American Revolution, one might reference the Tea Act of 1773 and the subsequent Boston Tea Party. The Tea Act, by granting the British East India Company the right to sell tea to the colonies tax-free, undercut colonial merchants and was perceived as another instance of Britain's disregard for colonial interests and autonomy. This led to the Boston Tea Party, where colonists, united in their resistance to what they saw as unfair treatment, disguised themselves and dumped a shipment of tea into Boston Harbor in protest.