What did American people think about the British in 1776?

In 1775, King George III gave his consent to Parliament to send troops to the colonies. His goal was to teach the colonists a lesson; he wanted to show them that betrayal was not to be tolerated.
For their part, Americans as a whole were ready to reject the primacy of the British crown. They believed that the king and Parliament had overstepped their boundaries in many ways. Yet, although American sentiment against the crown was near universal, many also felt that the cost of fighting such a formidable enemy was too high.
Initially, many able-bodied American men volunteered in Washington's army. As the war progressed, however, and the casualties increased on the American side, many men reassessed their participation in the hostilities.
As a result, Washington and his generals were forced to offer cash prizes, awards, and other incentives to encourage men to enlist. At this time, however, help came from an unexpected quarter. When all was said and done, about 5,000 African American men fought for America in the Revolutionary War. The contributions of these men made a huge difference to the independence effort. Both free and enslaved African Americans partook in the war effort. There were also a variety of efforts by the British to exploit slaves as a means to win the war.
For more on American sentiment towards the British in 1776, please refer to the links below.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-george-iii-speaks-to-parliament-of-american-rebellion

https://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/african_americans.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/myths-of-the-american-revolution-10941835/