The colonies and Congress immediately reacted by issuing letters of marque, which authorised individual American shipowners to seize British ships in a practice known as privateering.

Further, the act moved the American colonists more towards the option of complete independence, as the king had now declared his "subjects" out of his protection and levied war against them without regards to distinction as to their ultimate loyalty or their petitions for the redress of grievances.

At the same time, the British had imported bands of foreign auxiliaries, including the Hessians, into the American colonies to suppress the rebellion.

The British had also stirred up hostile bands of Native Americans on the frontier by the king's men to raid the colonists.

It throws thirteen colonies out of the royal protection, levels all distinctions, and makes us independent in spite of our supplications and entreaties....