Final answer:
The relationship between the colonists and the British government worsened by 1776 due to unresolved economic disparities and British efforts to enforce stricter control, which included taxation without representation and harsh responses to colonial protests, leading to increased colonial unity and the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Causes of Tension Between Colonists and British Government by 1776
The relationship between the colonists and the British government deteriorated by 1776 primarily due to unresolved economic disparities and efforts by the British to consolidate their control over the colonies. Tensions rose following the French and Indian War, as the British government imposed taxes like the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and later the Intolerable Acts to recover war costs and regulate colonial trade. These acts were seen as infringements on colonial autonomy, given that the colonists had no representation in British Parliament to voice their concerns or consent to taxation. Additionally, the principle of 'no taxation without representation' was a core tenet for the colonists, spurred on by the intellectual trends and religious developments of the era. Measures such as the Declaratory Act, which reaffirmed Parliament's control over the colonies, and punitive responses like the closure of Boston Harbour following the Boston Tea Party, further strained the relationship, leading to the development of continental-wide cooperation demonstrated by the Committees of Correspondence and the Continental Congresses.
Ultimately, these political and economic tensions led to violent confrontations and the quest for independence, as epitomized by the outbreak of the American Revolution in April 1775 when British troops and Massachusetts militias exchanged fire, marking the escalation of conflict into full-blown warfare.