Question

How did salutary neglect lead colonists to rebel against Great Britain?

Answer 1

Hint: Salutary neglect was the policy where the British Government did make trade laws and policies for the people of the colonies but did not enforce them very strictly. They did so as it was highly expensive to maintain forces overseas and they could manage with a lenient hand.

Complete answer: The policy of salutary neglect meant that the British Crown was not very strict with enforcing the trade laws over the colonists in America and New England. But the colonists had been trading with the Spaniards, Dutch and French for a long time, making a profit over the leniency of the trade laws.

To restrain this and increase their margin of profit, in 1763 the British government enforced trade laws such as the Sugar Act and the Navigation Acts as the measures to control colonial trade. They also imposed new taxes and strengthened the presence of the navy to arrest the smugglers. This started to dissatisfy and agitate the colonists who had been experiencing the profits of salutary neglect up until then.

The British government was slowly losing control and the smugglers were becoming increasingly powerful. This encouraged their motives and they slowly started rebelling. This rebellion later turned to the revolution where Britain was forced to free America.

Note: It was the philosophy of mercantilism that the British government had been using in the 16th and the 17th century. The only concern of the government here was to have colonies make money for them. This is how the spread of capitalism through colonisation took place.