From early on, the European inhabitants of colonies in the Americas saw fit to formulate new laws and create governmental bodies that often ran contrary to the legal institutions and traditions of their homelands. Such defiance was unintentional, informed by necessity rather than a desire to fully escape the control of royal officials. But as colonial elites in the English North American colonies grew more capable and confident in their own governance, it further promoted a sense of self-sufficiency and separateness from England that led to rebelliousness.