[tacticalogic]

English colonies starting to think of themselves as Americans. Remember "unite or die" slogans? The most dynamic parts of the colonials began to consider themselves Americans years before the first shots were fired. They spoke to the world and to each other as Americans.

The debates of the Constitutional Convention refer to them as States, not colonies.

[justshutupandtakeit]

But they were not organized as States until directed by the Continental Congress to write constitutions and make it official. This was done mostly after the Declaration which also spoke for the People. "When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another...."