Salutary Neglect Essay

Since the founding of the Thirteen Colonies, the colonists enjoyed a degree of autonomy and self sufficiency from the mother country, England. The colonies had colonial assemblies, which were more democratic than England’s and were independent governments. British mercantilist laws were not strictly enforced due to the policy commonly referred to as salutary neglect. However, as the British increasingly ignore the problems the colonies faced, the colonies began to look for a common government to lead them. This eventually led to three distinct efforts at intercolonial cooperation and union: The New England Confederation, Penn’s Plan of Union, and The Albany Plan of Union. Therefore, although there were unsuccessful attempts to unite the

The British colonies in America from the time they were established up until around 1763 had a policy of Salutary Neglect. Salutary Neglect meant that the British would not interfere with the colonies national or even international affairs. This benefitted the colonies, they got to experience some forms of democracy, and they also were able to experience independence in a way though they took it for granted. The British after the Seven Years War, which was fought on American soil, for the

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.

In conclusion, the origins and development of Britain’s North American colonies was sustained by the need to stay in economic power. Bacon’s Rebellion, a high demand for cash crops, and an easy purchase of slaves through trade overall introduced and developed slavery to the Americas all while increasing economic status for England and their

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.”

In being colonies of England, a country whose government is partially representative and partially monarchic, the American colonists struggled to create democratic societies because they were forced to accept the British laws and duties passed by the British government, however, they did succeed. Though at first, while the colonists were struggling to establish themselves in the colonies, they welcomed the support of their motherland. As time pass went on, however, the colonists were divided in opinions. Some colonists became loyalists, many felt patriotic to their colony and some remained undecidedly neutral. When the colonies realized how interconnected and alike they were, they decided to call for intercolonial congresses. Through these intercolonial assemblies whichever colonies chose to be represented were able to be. Therefore, the colonists in colonial America were governed by a government for and by

The British Empire dramatically changed when Christopher Columbus located America. Countries were rushing to get a piece of the shiny new land they could conquer. No country wanted to be left behind on the road to colonization, the more they owned the more powerful they were. The French came and colonized central and northern America. The Dutch collected patchy parts of northern America and Spain got southern America (Keene et al, section 2).

It was the age of discovery that first provoked intrigue and curiosity of new lands, particularly the Americas, and how the Europeans could expand to fit their society within the borders of this unknown and unexplored land. By the 1580s, more had been learned about the Americas, but any colonization until this point had not even been attempted. And so it was the English, under Queen Elizabeth I's rule, that were issued to establish a colony along the east coast of North America. However, when this great accomplishment was finally made in 1587, it was not long founded until its ultimate fate ended in the disappearance of the colony three years later, instantly creating one of the greatest

The relations between England and the British North American colonies could always be considered precarious. Prior to 1750 British essentially followed a policy of benign neglect and political autonomy in the American colonies. (Davidson p.97) The colonies were for the most part content with benign neglect policy, relishing in a “greater equality and representative government”(Davidson p.95) within the colonies. Competition among European Imperial nations began to effect British policy toward North America colonies causing rapid shifts from 1750 to 1776. During this period, the British Empire made a series of policy decision that sealed the fate of the British North American

The definition of Salutary Neglect is an unofficial and long term 17th and 18th-century British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws meant to keep American colonies obedient to England. This British policy of Salutary Neglect was never documented although Britain was strict about it. Salutary Neglect often is associated with laws regarding trade. It was effected during mainly the Navigational Acts and the Triangular Trade.

Upon arriving in North America, John Winthrop stated the purpose of the colonies, "We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." The passengers on the boat that left England had a vision, to be an example for the rest of the world. And for over 100 years, Great Britain ruled over these colonies, under the undocumented policy of salutary neglect. Salutary neglect was a long standing policy that allowed the colonists to violate the laws of trade. However, the British reversed this policy to raise taxes for the debts caused by the French and Indian War. After the reversal of the policy, the colonists started to grow tired and angry over the taxation. They debated Great Britain’s legal power to tax them with no direct representation in Parliament. Soon their disgruntled behavior turned violent, and the American Revolution begun. Although the unfair taxes were placed on the colonists for good reasons from the British point of view, the economic restraints and the lack of political representation in Parliament justified the revolution.

In 1607 the British began to colonize North America. Britain enforce certain rules, such as the colonies could only trade with its mother country, to make sure that it was the only country benefiting for the colonies. However there was a period of Salutary Neglect. “Salutary neglect was Britain's unofficial policy to relax the enforcement of strict regulations, particularly trade laws, imposed on the American colonies late in the seventeenth and early in the eighteenth centuries” (Henretta). In this duration of time the colonies began to establish their own trade routes, politics, and procedures which helped form their sense of nationalism.

The Americans leaders felt that representation with actual legislators seated and voting in London was the best way to be represented and taxed fairly. However, Great Britain supported the concept of virtual representation for the American colonies as well as its citizens still in the country. This was based on the certainty that an affiliate of Parliament represented every person in the empire. This lead to the simple ideas that they can tax the colonies because they had representation even though no one from the colonies were actually present during the meetings. This had been happening long before the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act but the issue was not unreasonable until the Tea Act was established. The government that was supposed to be helping

After having years of benign British neglect, and after capably governing themselves, the people in the American colonies were not pleased when the British Parliament decided after the end of the successful end of the French Indian War in 1763 to become more engaged in the American colonists’ affairs. The British government wanted to protect the American colonies from future Indian and other attacks.

P. 8 - Colonial governors helpless to take action without the assistance of the representative assemblies. The assemblies held the power of the purse and generally got their way.