How does a republic differ from the colonial form of government experience before the American revolution?

Prior to the Revolutionary War, the US experienced a colonial form of government, which differs from a Republic in several significant ways:

A colony is ruled by a foreign power. In the case of the US, this power was England. A republic, on the other hand, is autonomous, and it forms its own government. A colony is usually ruled by a monarch (it is not a necessary requirement, but it has been so in practice), while republics elect their leader through voting. Republics tend to be democratic and participatory, with no inherited power positions. A republic has the power to make its own laws in terms of taxation, rights and duties, education, healthcare, etc. while the colony has to follow those of the mother country. Republics tend to have their own constitution.