They were called rebels or patriots, depending on who you talked to.
We called them 'patriots'. The British called them 'rebels'.
They wanted independence from England to become their own nation
The Declaration of Indepence stated reasons why the colonists wanted their freedom from England, as there was a whole section called The List of Grieveances dedicated to list reasons why they were to break apart. There are 27 reasons.
they wanted Independence from England
Colonists of the United States of America wanted Independence from England because they were given unfair taxes and did not have the freedom they wanted.
They were very different from the British soldiers and wanted to declare independence from England.
patriot
The colonists declared independence from Britain due to unfair taxes and tyranny. They declared there independence on July 4th ,1776.
the colonists
During the revolution, those who wanted to be independent were called "patriots".
That depends on whose side you're on! The British and those who were loyal to Britain (Loyalists or Tories) would have called those colonists rebels or traitors. However, in American history, colonists who were sympathetic to the fight for independence were called Patriots. About 1/3 of all colonists supported England, another 1/3 were Patriots who wanted independence, and another 1/3 attempted to remain neutral.
declaration of independence