Influences of Brtain's Policy of Saluatry Neglect on the Development of American Society

The Colonies began to disregard British rule as early as they existed. From the beginning of Jamestown colonies began disobeying British rule at an increasing rate. Britain's failure to control the colonies led to an American society diverse from Britain. Before 1750, Britain's policy of salutary neglect influenced the development of American society displayed in the colonist's legislative assemblies, commerce, and religion.

England believed in a system of Mercantilism where the colonies existed for the benefit of the Mother Country; however to stimulate production and commerce in the colonies, Sir Robert Walpole decided to try something different. As the first Prime Minister of Britain, Walpole adopted a policy of salutary neglect whereby the actual enforcement of external trade relations was lax. In other words, the British did not strictly enforce commerce laws with the colonies. But, in 1650 the British tried to control colonial trade with the Navigation Acts. However, under the policy of salutary neglect, Great Britain no longer enforced these laws, and illegal and free trade with other countries began as a result. As free trade commenced, the colonies began to prosper. Trade flourished between America, Europe, and the West Indies, including trade between the colonies themselves. A triangular trade developed, in which Massachusetts merchants brought in sugar and molasses, converted it to rum, sent the rum to Africa in exchange for slaves, and sold the slaves to West Indian sugar plantations. In addition to prosperity from sea commerce, the colony developed manufacturing industries such as ironworks, brickyards, stone quarries, leather tanneries, and distilleries. As a result of this increased economic prosperity, colonists formed their own political institutions to the extent of making their own legislative assemblies, for the government to represent the people.

Under salutary neglect, the colonists were not under direct rulership of the British empire, and were left to fend for themselves. As a result, they created governments and economic institutions based on Britain. They created participatory government with the House of Burgesses. They created an independent trade economy in Massachusetts, and provided for religious freedom in Pennsylvania. They assumed these institutions guaranteed them as English citizens, however, England's merchants did not agree with this assumption. They believed that the colonies sole purpose was to support the mother-country, England. Through salutary neglect, the English government failed to provide support to the Royal Governors, and a direct result of this was that the Royal Governors had much less power than England intended. The assemblies created by the people had the power, and the governor's were forced to cooperate with them.

Another effect of salutary neglect was that colonists experienced an extraordinary religious tolerance and freedom. Throughout