Topic: For the period before 1750, analyze the ways in which Britain’s policy of “Salutary Neglect” influenced the development of American society as illustrated in the following: Legislative assemblies, commerce, religion. Before 1750, the undocumented British policy of salutary neglect greatly impacted the methods through which American colonists regulated their daily lives. Through mercantilist thought processes, Britain created the colonies merely for gain of the mother terrain itself. Therefore, it did not give them any specific attention and allowed them to simply rule itself by personal means—and this idea makes up salutary neglect. The colonies used their own assemblies, such as the House of Burgesses, to govern themselves. …show more content…
Primarily colonial leadership could make this decision, because the gist of the situation comprised of keeping the slaves from taking advantage of the fact that England allowed freedom under certain circumstances. Economically, the Crown did not provide as much assistance as needed to the colonists of the New World. Trade involved mainly countries other than England, because this way profits were maximized. England, once again, created its colonies for mercantilist reasons: profits and only profits. In reaction to these trade schemes, the Navigation Acts were enforced. Smuggling then grew extremely popular mainly because of price differences and simple convenience. Agriculturally, the main crops were indigo, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, and rice. Due to high demand, several workers were needed. Through the Triangular trade, raw materials went to England and the Northern Colonies, slaves came to the plantation-dominated areas of the colonies, and manufactured goods went to the West Indies. Molasses was turned into rum in New England and traded for more slaves as well. Religious freedom was one of the main causes for English peoples to move to the New World. They escaped from the de-catholicization of the Church of England in order to believe in what they wanted to belive in. The government once again did not pay any heed to set an official religious set of rules in the colonies, therefore allowing the people to
While the colonists modeled the structure of their legislation after the British House of Commons, salutary neglect also provided colonists the opportunity to develop their own local assemblies from individuals within their respective communities. In this regard, the lack of British involvement in the colonies allowed the legislative assemblies to develop in a way that was better catered to the needs in the colonies, developing a group of people who became accustomed to having their opinions heard by the government.
One of the major causes for emigration from England to North America was religious persecution. Religious tolerance in Britain for other Christian sects besides the Anglican church was virtually nonexistent, resulting in many members of other sects to seek religious haven in the colonies. The vast majority of immigrants coming to New England were followers of
New England’s motive to settle there was for freedom of religion due to being in England if they worshiped other religions not been the Church of England, consequences would be imprisonment, fees, discrimination, and even execution. They had two main religious established, Pilgrims and Puritans, been two different religions. Pilgrims were the first permanent settlers on New England.1
Essay Question: #3 Compare and contrast the different ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
During the 17th and 18th century, English residents felt that England was over-crowded and intolerable. They wanted to lessen these problems that rose up because of the large population increase and to establish more religious freedom (Horn). The English believed that the best way to go about this was to colonize the New World. Subsequently, many colonies began to develop, and of these colonies, Massachusetts Bay and Virginia were the most well-known. The early settlements of Massachusetts and Virginia were both established by similar groups of people at the same time; furthermore, their contrasting beginnings as a colony, views on religion, and method of economic stability all contributed to our American heritage today.
The biggest reason that colonists were becoming disgruntled with their mother country, Britain, was Britain’s heavy debts that Britain had accumulated while fighting wars with France which needed to be alleviated. As with all governments, Britain had to tax its people to procure the funds needed to pay these debts. Britain saw their colonies as thousands of British citizens that they had not taxed satisfactorily. After realizing this, Britain imposed several new taxes on goods imported and exported to and from the colonies. The colonists were livid over the new taxes. After all, Britain had practiced salutary neglect for almost 100 years. Salutary neglect is the practice of leaving one’s foreign acquisitions to their own devices with little to no interference of their government, social, or economic aspects. The colonists immediately began to petition these new taxes. Their logic: “No taxation without representation.”
There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create
Britain created a lot of policies to keep the colonies under their rule. They also had these policies in place because it benefited their own economy. American colonies would give Britain supplies, and they would use these supplies to manufacture for a profit. The Navigation Acts were created so that trade would be more regulated.
As time progressed and colonists in America continued to receive full rights of an Englishman and even more freedom, by giving settlers a taste of for self-government, England’s lax rule over Jamestown would backfire against her future attempts to tighten her control on America in 1750. In fact, the Charter of Liberties foreshadows what colonists soon expected of government rule. Written in 1701, the Charter of Liberties established a representative assembly of one house, limiting the authority of Pennsylvania’s proprietor. (This can be paralleled to creating a democracy to eliminate the power of a dictator or a monarch…) Even lower counties in
One of the main reasons English citizens moved to America was the prospect of freedom from from religious persecution. Many colonies were founded solely to be a safe haven for religious minorities. For instance, Massachusetts was founded by a segment of extreme Puritans called, in hopes of practice their religion without being harassed. The Separatists believed the Church of England maintained too many similarities with the Catholic Church, and it was their job, as saints, to purify it. Their religious beliefs angered many people, especially King James, who was the head of the Church of England at that time. A large group of the Separatists settled in Massachusetts, hoping to practice their religious beliefs without harassment. The Massachusetts Bay Puritans created a very particular society which incorporated their cherished beliefs into the foundation
In each era of American history, there is one thing that changes people’s views, and it can increase their patriotism, or it can make the citizens revolt and protest. This, in turn, changes American history. In colonial America, salutary neglect occurred and this made colonists happy. Salutary neglect was when the British Crown was lax on their laws and let American colonists have a bit of freedom. However, when they were stripped of that, their mindsets towards the Crown did a 180 and built up anger and resentment towards Parliament. This happened because Americans started to become more democratic and independent under salutary neglect. Prior to the American Revolution, America was very democratic for those that “mattered” (white males), and this caused colonists’ reactions at the end of salutary neglect to
Salutary Neglect is the unofficial British policy of lenient enforcement of the laws of parliament towards the colonies, or in other words, the kind of ignoring that teenagers seem to love. This policy was put in place so Britain could focus on Europe, while still keeping America in allegiance with them. This neglect gave new fuel to what would become self-governing. Much like a teenager, the colonies started thinking for themselves. The colonies soon became used to the idea of self-governing, and after a long period of isolation from the crown, began to consider itself separate. This contributed to the American Revolution substantially due to the fact that during this time there were very many people who began to think of themselves as American,
The trans-Atlantic interactions promoted economic continuity of the British North American colonies. For example, in 1600, English settled on the eastern Caribbean islands and needed to rely on agriculture. They grew tobacco and sugar, two of the most profitable crops. Eventually, as the British acquired more land in North America, Southern plantation owners began to grow these crops, instead of importing them, on their plantations. For example, in South Carolina and Georgia, the economy became dependent
As the British North American colonies began to develop, the Trans-Atlantic trade route started to thrive. The small farmers in the West Indies, and the southern colonies began cultivating the land and growing newly found crops. These new crops were in high demand in Europe as they seen as luxury items. The small farmers could not meet the demands for the crops, causing a change in the labor systems. This change introduced the use of indentured servitude and slavery to the American colonies.
The British retained controlled over the colonies. After many years under British control, the colonists became discontent. This discontent was due to unfair acts and laws the British placed on the colonists. The colonists had no representation in the parliament, nor could they protest without consequences.