Use a pioneer to improve the land as quickly as possible.
You can always plow the land that your city is build, even long after the city has been build.
As Djole said, accept the tax rises until you close to starting your revolution.
That depends on what founding fathers you have, one will remove all bans, and one will raise bell productions based on your taxes.
Spread spare horses and guns around the settlements.
Horses are the only produce that you get more of all by doing nothing, providing you produce enough food.
If you want to play it on the hardest level, then only place your first city next to see water, place the rest inland and use wagons and custom houses to sell. The tories will then only attack that one city, so you can easily defend it.
