Were the Colonist Justified?

If the British dedicated 7 years to winning a war for the colonies, what were the means for the colonist to declare their independence? England went into war because of territorial claims. They fought a long strenuous battle for seven years. Finally, on February 10, 1763, the British signed the Treaty of Paris. The British now had jurisdiction of the 13 colonies, Florida, and Canada. The British had not been supervising the colonies for a long time. A period of salutary neglect came into affect. During the time of salutary neglect America developed their own systems, and sufficed on their own.   The British soon enforced their rule, which led to the colonist rebelling. The British believed in an economical policy known as mercantilism. The basis of mercantilism was insuring all American proceeds should be owed to England as war reparations. Because of mercantilism, the British imposed several duties and laws the Colonials thought to be unjust, which ultimately led to rebelling. The colonist justification in rebelling was England limiting their development, British soldiers abusing Americans, and Parliament not valuing the colonist complaints.
Although England prospered as a country, it did not advance America and disrupted their progress. In Common Sense by Thomas Paine, he believed America would have been triumphant without England. “I answer roundly that America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no European power taken any notice of her. The commerce by which she hath enriched herself are the necessaries of life, and will always have a market while eating is the custom of Europe” (155, The American Spirit). Governor Berkeley of Virginia went on to say, “by that severe act of Parliament which excludes us the having any commerce with any nation in Europe but our own, so that we cannot add to our plantation any commodity that grows out of it, as olive trees, cotton, or vines” (131, The American Spirit).   America had many valuable resources...