ABSTRACT
Therationaleforsettlementinwhatwastobe«ometheThirteen Colonieswasunique.Whereasearliercolonizationeffortsthroughout theNewWorldhadbeenbasedonextractiveenterprise,suchasthosein LatinAmericathatfocusedonlabor-andcapital-intensivegoldand silvermining,afterinitialdisappointmentsinVirginiaandNorthCarolinathepeoplingofBritishNorthAmericawasmuchmoreindividually based.Althoughcertainlynotaclasslesssocietyandalthoughthedivisionsgrewmoredistinctthefartheronetraveledsouthward,therewas muchlesssocialstratificationintheThirteenColoniesthanincontemporaryEurope.Forthemostpartaself-selectedgroupofambitious people,thecolonistswereindependentmindedandgoaloriented.Both theirreligiousbeliefsandtheirphysicalenvironmentemphasizedpersonalresponsibility.Thecolonieswerethusafertilebreedinggroundfor thefreemarketconceptsAdamSmithwouldespouseinTheWealthof Nations.3AlthoughSmith'sbookwasfirstpublishedin1776,onecannotciteitasacausalfactorintherushtoRevolution.Instead,it highlightedthealreadyextantcolonialdissatisfactionwiththeBritish mercantilesystemanditsrestrictionsonindividualinitiative,beit legitimateornot.
