I'm trying to understand why Americans seem to be especially suspicious of government, fearful of tyranny, and focused on freedom - while these issues seem low priorities in other Western countries.
I don't know how related this character is to the American Revolution, but it's something Americans often tell me. "We arm ourselves now due to our character being formed by the experience of the Revolution" is something you often hear.
Which leads me to wonder - why revolt in the first place? Why was independence, and self representation, such a big deal in the American colonies, and not elsewhere? Did Britain rule differently there? Was there something different, perhaps going back to the earliest settlers, that meant things were different?
My country (Australia) looked upon being part of the British Empire with pride - and Canada and others seemed not to have much of a problem with it.
Any brief information that can help me understand and trace these unique American tendencies would be greatly appreciated!
these unique American tendencies
Not so unique. Many other parts of the British Empire went into revolt - and won independence - against British rule. India, British Africa nations and Ireland all revolted against the British in the 20th century and became independent. In the case of Ireland there were rebellions against the British every generation going back hundreds of years.
India had rebellions in the 19th century, the most notorious was in 1857 which resulted in the establishment of the British Raj, intended to hold down any future rebellion.
Right up until the revolution, colonial Americans were very proud British subjects. They often praised the king, and they happily fought with them during the French and Indian War. Even throughout the Revolution there remained many loyalists, as well as many who were fairly apathetic about the war. So your premise might be a little off.
All the British colonies were governed a bit differently and all of them had their own circumstances so I don't think it's correct to say that there was anything inherent to the American colonies that made them rebel, other than the fact that maybe they had become powerful enough that had the power to do so. The long and short of it is that there were some points of contention between the colonial leaders and the crown regarding things like the war debt, taxes, slavery, and Indians, and the crown completely bungled any attempt to reconcile them. Parliament had a very poor understanding of colonial politics and often acted in the completely wrong manner. Up until the war actually started most people still thought it wouldn't happen and were waiting for Parliament to offer some reconciliation so that they could go back to being happy loyal subjects. I got this information from the many books on colonial America by Alan Taylor.
The common answer is the whole "taxation without representation" thing. However, taxes levied in the American colonies were actually among the lowest in the British Empire. Nonetheless, taxes were raised after the French and Indian Wars and that pissed off the Americans, and hence the Boston Tea Party that lead to the intolerable acts.
The Boston Port Act, closing the port of Boston until the Dutch East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea;
The Massachusetts Government Act, putting the government of Massachussets almost entirely under direct British control;
The Administration of Justice Act, allowing royal officials to be tried in Britain if the king felt it necessary for fair justice;
The Quartering Act, ordering the colonies to provide lodging for British soldiers
The Quebec Act, expanding British territory in Canada and guaranteeing the free practice of Roman Catholicism.
The Quartering Act incensed the colonies most. The king and parliament revived an old law requiring colonists to house British soldiers in their homes. Because of the Boston Massacre (4 years earlier, in 1770), the colonists were afraid of the soldiers in their homes. They would lay awake at night with fear for their children embedded in their hearts like a knife.