A lot of truth there. I bet the conservatives in the 1760-1770s thought the progressives were weirdos for wanting independence from the British.
From what I recall from my reading... the Americans were so used to governing themselves, they pretty much thought of themselves as having their own country already. Then they started having disagreements with the British government. The colonists considered themselves loyal subjects (who thought the King was
really on their side). The British responded to colonial complaints with repression, which killed off the loyalty man had felt previously. The final straw was the confiscation of guns which lead to start of the war, pretty much spontaneously.
The Americans who fought in the revolution felt they were defending their own country, and were not Englishmen any more.