Many excuses were made, that’s the one that stuck. The real reason was that the colonies were rich, and now had effectively unlimited land to the west they could expand into, that the British army had taken care of the French.
I think you have that backwards. The grievances were the motivation. The situation was the opportunity.
If they were content, they wouldn’t have revolted
They weren’t content because they were now rich and the motherland was now poor. It wasn’t some high-minded ideal, it was opportunism.
How would having more money make them discontent? That makes no sense. If they’re doing so well in the empire, then stay. Enjoy the security. Don’t make an enemy of the most powerful force in the world.
It was ideological. Have you read anything contemporary leaders were writing at the time?