SALUTARY NEGLECT ESSAY For the period before 1750, analyze the way in which the British policy of sa
lutary neglect influenced the development of American society as illustrated in legislature assembli
es, commerce and religion.
The policy of salutary neglect influenced the development of American so
ciety. It gave the colonies a chance to govern themselves and to develop separately from England.
It let them make their own laws that would benefit the people in the colonies. Because of this ther
e was religious freedom. It unified the colonies and gave them a sense of nationalism. Even though
England believed in a system of mercantilism, Sir Robert Walpole espoused a view of "salutary neglec
t?. In this system the British had very little interference in the international affairs of the Ame
rican colonies. Walpole believed that this enhanced freedom for the colonists would stimulate comme
rce. The policy had allowed the colonists to develop their own political institutions to the extent
of making their own legislative assemblies as local equivalents of the Westminster parliament to be
the main protector of their rights to life, liberty, and property. In Britain, Westminster parliam
ent had greatly increased its own role in the political life of the nation and the political elite t
here started to believe more in the constitutional doctrine that ultimately sovereignty lay with the
king-in-parliament. The people in Britain believed that the parliament had control over the Americ
an colonies and, so long as this authority was restricted to the regulation of Atlantic trade and th
e control of the colonies external relations, the colonists did not take it as a violation of their
rights. The American colonists did not realize that this could be a threat to their own legislative
institutions. In the early eighteenth century, both the colonies and Britain were developing distin
ctive ideas of the power and authority of their own legislatures without clearly defining the bounda
ries of each others power over what happens in the colonies. (Dickinson, pp. 6) From the earliest d
ays of English colonial development in the new world, salutary neglect and mercantilism have flawed
the relationship between colonists and the mother country. The system of salutary neglect allowed t
he colonies to develop the spirit of independence that was the foundation of the revolutionary movem
ent. After they get a taste of independence there is no going back. The attempts by the British to
make the Americans comply with the British rules only ignited the American flame for revolution. Wh
en England attempted to end salutary neglect and reinstate a tightly controlled mercantilist relatio
nship, the colonists rebelled. Under salutary neglect England's was too busy with internal trouble
brought by the Civil War and Glorious Revolution as well as foreign wars with the Dutch and French s
o they left the colonies to fend for themselves throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
On their own they created governments, economic institutions, and social civilization based on Bri
tain. They created participatory government with the House of Burgesses, an independent trade econom
y in Massachusetts, and provided for religious freedom in Pennsylvania. They assumed these institut
ions were guaranteed them as English citizens. England's mercantilists did not agree with this assum
ption. They believed the colonies existed for the sole purpose of supporting the mother country, wh
ich is the main idea of mercantilism. Their citizens thus were to be subservient. Because of the N
avigation Acts of 1690?s which limited the goods the colonists could trade, made the American coloni
sts turn to the black market for goods they could no longer get or that were too expensive. The Fren
ch and Indian War which the English hoped to fight with the help of colonial taxes and militia inspi
red the Americans to declare their right to grievance before supply, a right they assumed was theirs
as citizens of a representative government. All of these misunderstanding about the colonist?s rig
hts would lead them to war. ( www.vlc.atu.edu/hist2003/2002-fall.com ) Trade flourished between Amer
ica, Europe, and the West Indies, as well as between the colonies themselves. A triangular trade dev
eloped, in which Massachusetts merchants brought in sugar and molasses from the West Indies, convert
ed it into rum, sent the rum to Africa in exchange for slaves, and sold the slaves to West Indian su
gar plantations. In addition to the prosperity from sea commerce, the colony developed manufacturin
g industries, such as ironworks, brickyards, stone quarries, leather tanneries, and distilleries. To
wn life spread into central and western Massachusetts. Boston grew steadily and by the 1770s was one
of America?s few large cities. Differences between the colonies gradually disappeared as common for
ms of local government and common experiences among the colonists brought people together. Moreover,
the works of Isaac Newton and John Locke were becoming ever more popular in England as well as Amer
ica, arousing a new spirit of rational inquiry into the laws of nature and the nature of man. ( Micr
osoft Encarta, ?Triangular Trade?) The British Tory war party initiated a new war against France by
mid-century. In America it became known as the French and Indian War and it was, Rothbard points out
, a deliberate try for more land in North America. The British emerged victorious and the Tories swe
pt the Whigs from office. (www.lewrockwell.com/klassen/klassen26.html ) The policy of salutary negle
ct united the colonies. It helped them to build a unified society in which they had their own assem
blies and law system. It encouraged religious freedom and commerce flourished under it. The repeal
of the policy caused much anger in the colonies. This pulled the colonies even closer together and
it united them under one cause, which would in the long run give them an independent nation.
BIBL
IOGRAPHY 1.Irwin Unger; ?These United States?? 2.H.T. Dickinson ? Britain and the American Revolutio
n? 3.Microsoft Encarta 2000 4.Internet Sites (listed in the footnotes)
salutary neglect essay perio
d before analyze which british policy salutary neglect influenced development american society illus
trated legislature assemblies commerce religion policy salutary neglect influenced development ameri
can society gave colonies chance govern themselves develop separately from england them make their l
aws that would benefit people colonies because this there religious freedom unified colonies gave th
em sense nationalism even though england believed system mercantilism robert walpole espoused view t
his system british very little interference international affairs american walpole believed that thi
s enhanced freedom colonists would stimulate commerce policy allowed colonists develop their politic
al institutions extent making their legislative assemblies local equivalents westminster parliament
main protector rights life liberty property britain westminster parliament greatly increased role po
litical life nation political elite there started believe more constitutional doctrine that ultimate
ly sovereignty with king parliament people britain believed control over long authority restricted r
egulation atlantic trade control external relations colonists take violation rights realize could th
reat legislative institutions early eighteenth century both britain were developing distinctive idea
s power authority legislatures without clearly defining boundaries each others power over what happe
ns dickinson from earliest days english colonial development world mercantilism have flawed relation
ship between mother country system allowed develop spirit independence foundation revolutionary move
ment after they taste independence there going back attempts british make americans comply with rule
s only ignited flame revolution when england attempted reinstate tightly controlled mercantilist rel
ationship rebelled under busy with internal trouble brought civil glorious revolution well foreign w
ars dutch french they left fend themselves throughout seventeenth eighteenth centuries they created
governments economic institutions social civilization based created participatory government house b
urgesses independent trade economy massachusetts provided religious freedom pennsylvania assumed the
se were guaranteed them english citizens mercantilists agree assumption existed sole purpose support
ing mother country which main idea mercantilism citizens thus were subservient because navigation ac
ts which limited goods could trade made turn black market goods could longer expensive french indian
english hoped fight help colonial taxes militia inspired americans declare right grievance before s
upply right assumed theirs citizens representative government these misunderstanding about colonist
rights would lead hist fall flourished between america europe west indies well between themselves tr
iangular developed massachusetts merchants brought sugar molasses from west indies converted into se
nt africa exchange slaves sold slaves west indian sugar plantations addition prosperity commerce col
ony developed manufacturing industries such ironworks brickyards stone quarries leather tanneries di
stilleries town life spread into central western massachusetts boston grew steadily america large ci
ties differences gradually disappeared common forms local government common experiences among brough
t people together moreover works isaac newton john locke becoming ever more popular well america aro
using spirit rational inquiry into laws nature nature microsoft encarta triangular tory party initia
ted against france century became known french indian rothbard points deliberate more land north eme
rged victorious tories swept whigs office lewrockwell klassen klassen html united helped build unifi
ed society assemblies encouraged religious flourished under repeal caused much anger pulled even clo
ser together united under cause long give independent nation bibliography irwin unger these united s
tates dickinson revolution microsoft encarta internet sites listed footnotesEssay, essays, termpaper
, term paper, termpapers, term papers, book reports, study, college, thesis, dessertation, test answ
ers, free research, book research, study help, download essay, download term papers