Question

why do you think that many otherwise contented colonists might have been ready after 1763 to resist Britain’s efforts “to enclose its American colonists more snugly in its grip”?

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Great Britain took some actions that angered the settlers in the American Colonies at the end of the French and Indian War,

England won the war and on October 7, 1763, it was King George III who signed the proclamation that annexed new territories to the English monarchy in America: Florida and Quebec. It was known as the Proclamation of 1763, and the negative part of this document was that prohibited American colonists to settle the territories west the Appalachians mountains. The proclamation prohibited to buy and settle Indian territory. It was just the British crown the only one that could purchase land. That made the colonists very angry at the British government and did not obey the order.

The English monarchy had many doubts about the loyalty of the colonists in America. So the King and the Parliament felt that the colonists had not shown enough support to the British during the French and Indian War, and the Proclamation of 1763 would serve as a punishment to let the Americans know that the King of England controlled the colonies.

Answer 2

The signature of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 brought the end to the French and Indian War. This resulted in Great Britain earning an important amount of land in North America. These territories were known as the "Ohio Valley".  

The British tried to discourage Americans to go settle in these lands. These would mean that they would have to incur in major administrative costs and have to due bigger efforts in order to maintain control of all territories within North America. The British proclamation of October 7, 1763, which declared boundaries of the settlement was a formal attempt to restrict the expansion of colonists.  

As a result, colonists where highly discontent due to the fact that they considered being worthy of the lands they have fought over with the French and Indians. This was one of the first in a series of events that would lead to the American Revolutionary War.