Final answer:
John Jay believed the American colonies were poised to unite due to shared identities, political ideals, and strong mutual ties, fostered by common principles and experiences under British rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Jay argued that the American colonies were well suited to form a Union because they shared a common sense of identity, political ideals, and were united by strong ties. This commonality was rooted in shared principles such as the belief in John Locke's natural rights theory—that all people were entitled to life, liberty, and property—and Baron Montesquieu's concept of a government with power distributed among several branches to prevent tyranny. Furthermore, the colonists' collective experiences and dissatisfaction with British rule, such as the perception of liberties being abused and the sentiment that the British government had broken the social contract, fostered a desire for a new form of governance that was achieved through the drafting of the Constitution, which created a stronger national government and a federal system. Despite differences and challenges, such as varying opinions on slavery and representation, the goal was to create 'a more perfect union' that would enhance the wellbeing and stability of the nation as a whole.