What motivated the "average Joe" patriot to fight against the British in the Revolutionary War?

by PotheadTwentyTwenty

I'm aware that the Stamp Act pissed off lawyers, newspaper publishers, etc....and that the Townshend Acts and Tea act angered merchants, but what lead the average colonist to take up arms against Great Britain?

jschooltiger

This older answer of mine gets into some of the motivations.