In practise the American colonies were self governing in 1776 ». If this is so why did they feel the need to declare independence in 1776. Whether the colonies were independent by 1776 is a question with numerous aspects that historians have debated over the last 300 years and which comes to the inevitable conclusion that they were, to an extent, independent by 1776, but not sufficiently to remove the need of a declaration of Independence. There was also the clash of ideologies and the growing craving for independence which along wit ....