The aim of this paper is to bring readers closer to the social context and factors that were the drivers of colonial policy in England from the 17th century onwards. In the first part of the paper, what is presented are the goals that wanted to be achieved, as well as the philosophical thought that gave wings to its development. From failed expeditions to establishment of the first settlements and the Seven Years' War with France, the path to the secession of the American colonies from England is presented. Special attention is paid to a series of laws and legal acts passed by the English Parliament, which aimed to impose tax burdens on the colonies. Furthermore, the paper also follows the search for a political balance between the imposition of taxes and the fear of a trade boycott from the colonies, as well as between keeping the colonies under firm rule versus the fear of igniting discontent and a possible rebellion against the authorities in England. Following the above, the paper also shows the internal process of uniting the colonies in their discontent with England, as well as the creation of a collective desire and awareness of a new nation. As a logical sequence, in the final part of the paper, the course of the War of Independence is briefly presented, along with the most important battles. The partial interests and wishes of other European countries in the above-mentioned war are also mentioned. I would single out the Declaration of Independence as the most important part of the paper. New ideas regarding human rights, giving legitimacy to the government and establishing social order had a much wider influence than the territorial boundaries of the American colonies and the time when the Declaration was written, and they present the foundation of modern democratic societies even today.