Final answer:
After the French and Indian War, the 13 colonies were expecting to benefit from promising economic opportunities, particularly through western expansion into new, fertile lands. This anticipated economic growth was supported by the mercantile system and existing agricultural practices, despite British restrictions on westward settlements.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the French and Indian War, the 13 colonies were looking forward to economic opportunities that seemed promising. Colonists eagerly anticipated the possibility of expanding westward into the Ohio Valley, pursuing fertile lands for farming, and benefiting from the economic growth brought about by the mercantile system. Despite some limitations imposed by the British government to prevent westward settlement past the Appalachians, the optimism in economic growth was a significant outcome of the war.
The French and Indian War had a profound impact on the colonies in North America, and the sense of victory left the colonists with an expectation for a better future—one where they would have a chance to advance economically. This anticipated economic expansion can be linked to the growing need for more land in colonies due to family growth and agricultural practices like tobacco farming, which always required fresh, fertile lands.
In summary, the colonial experience after the French and Indian War projected a vision of economic prosperity and growth, with the hope of moving westward and cultivating new lands. This was a period marked by an increasing sense of common identity among the colonists, partially fueled by the economic ties with the mother country and the intellectual and religious developments of the time. Despite the British government's restrictions, the colonies’ economic maturity influenced their future direction towards autonomy and the eventual road to revolution.