Which of these factors most shaped American identity

A) the United States is located in North America

B) aristocratic royal governed oversaw the earliest British colonies

C) early colonists grew cash crops and relied on natural resources to survive

D) the pilgrim came to the United States seeking religious freedom

I would say D.

A doesn't really have to do with our identity.

B has to do with earliest British colonies, but they ended up being lenient later on (if they had mentioned the lack of representation in Parliament after the French and Indian War, it could have been right, but this is later on). Plus people ended up being important in politics for their passion and wealth which were not always characteristics of aristocrats. (this would be my second guess-in case the teacher really meant later on)

C doesn't quite work because the North ended up becoming manufacturers, so they bought their crops from the South, but this was important with the question of slavery in the United States. In the West farmers would plant more diverse crops instead of the cash crops.

D seems like the best answer to me because many other immigrants came from Europe freedom which later became guaranteed in our Bill of Rights. Plus the pilgrims were all literate (unlike the south) which ended up making the North (where they lived) more involved in politics during the build up to the Revolution.