After the French-Indian War, a heavy debt rested on Great Britain's shoulders. To help alleviate this debt, the British Parliament imposed taxes on the colonies. This not only angered the colonists at the time, but it also showed them that the king was hungry for power. The colonists quickly realized that they were not being accurately represented. From then on, people in the colonies knew that independence from Britain was necessary to prosper as a nation. Liberal philosophy had the greatest impact on the American decision to break free from the mother country because it convinced individuals that the people should be able to pursue their own interests. Likewise, it made the colonists realize that Britain's economic policies were not only harming their domestic economy, but were also having a devastating impact throughout the world. Evidence of this can be found in the pamphlet Common Sense written by Thomas Paine. Further evidence can be found in the Declaration of Independence, the document that declared the United States as an independent nation from Great Britain. Before you can understand how liberal philosophy affected the American decision to gain independence, you must first be able to understand the key concepts. within liberal philosophy. During the colonial period, liberal philosophy was a set of ideas that placed the individual at the forefront of any society. In other words, anything that prevented the individual from succeeding was contrary to philosophy. Liberal ideologies also emphasized the individual's right to property. If an individual owned property, then they could hire workers to work on the property. It's not just a middle of paper......uations. If these concepts had not been introduced, America could still feel the effects of a powerful leader taking advantage of citizens trying to get ahead. These decisions also affected the American concept of a free market society. Since our founders established our economy as a free market, businesses can now trade and expand in every part of the world, contributing to the economy and building partnerships with our nation. , Side by Side Comparison, last edited 2012, accessed March 9, 2014, https://docs.google.com/document/d/17-kk6FR8PGku4XhCy2TFBSbEeIWUlm082qgaqXAP81Y/edit?pli=1 « Thoughts on the Current State of American Affairs ", Common Sense by Thomas Paine, last modified 2011, accessed March 9, 2014, http://www.ushistory.org/paine/commonsense/sense4.htm.