[Age of Reason]

Actually, I heard that even before the American Revolution, the Thirteen Colonies had the highest standard of living in the world.

British soldiers sent to America to fight the rebels were amazed by the prosperity they witnessed in the American Colonies--

They could not understand why a people so prosperous would rebel. (Maybe prosperity isn't everything?)

But I do remember that England did its best to discourage manufacturing in the Colonies, preferring instead to use the Colonies as a source of raw material, which England would turn into finished products to sell back to the Colonies.

I seem to remember the desire to manufacture things in the Colonies was one cause of the American Revolution.

Makes me believe the Colonies wanted to be independent--in all the ways a county might be.

And I remember that President Washington, on receiving Lafayette's symbolic gift of the key to the Bastille, proudly sent Lafayette a pair of shoe buckles that were made in the USA, as the symbol of American independence.

[ExitPurgamentum]

I completely agree with everything you said. But, if I may ask, what is the relationship of all this with anything I said? Is this addressed to me by mistake?