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
Introduction: The term, “Salutary Neglect,”, references to the time that the British did not enforce their Parliamentary laws in the colonies. It was in effect from the 1700’s to the 1800’s. They allowed the colonies to avoid their strict Parliamentary laws so they will stay obedient to England and not rebel. They knew that the colonies were breaking their laws but did nothing to stop it and they let it happen. The prime minister of Britain during that time was Robert Walpole. He said, “If no restrictions were placed on the colonies,
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And one amongst the rest did kill his wife.” (John Smith,33)
It shows how desperate they were to find a source of food
A military government was set up as a result
King James I sent a charter to Virginia
The Great Charter of 1618 It replaced the military government that was set up during the starving times in Virginia. It appointed an English governor and an English council to control the General Assembly which allow them to summon a General Assembly to make laws. The Virginia General Assembly was created as a form of self government
It was allowed as long as the Virginia Company had corporate control over the
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Bacon, and say that if any enemies should invade England, any counselor, justice of peace, or other inferior officer might raise what forces they could protect His Majesty’s subject. But I say again, if, after the King’s knowledge of this invasion, any the greatest peer of England should raise forces against the King’s prohibition, this would be now, and ever was in all ages and nations, accounted treason…”(Sir William Berkeley, 76)
Mayflower Compact 1620
It was the first attempt at self government in America
It lasted between 1620 to 1691
Was created by the pilgrims who were on the
First of all, each of the different colonies’ founders all expressed sentiments to establish a solid and uncorrupt government. One that would honor God. This government would be made up of a Governor, and a general Assembly and/or provincial Council where most political and judicial decisions would be made and agreed on together. In the Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania, men were given the right to vote and choose the officials and representatives who would have a place in the government. These first colonies also promised the people that justice would be restored, it would not be sold, or withheld.
The Virginia constitution was created in 1776 and it is about the basic ruling of the commonwealth of Virginia. Their constitution limited the power of the government and created the basic rights for their people. Similar to all states ' constitution, their constitution is the supreme document of Virginia; however, the U.S. constitution or federal laws can take over. Virginia was the first to enact their constitution and their constitution influenced many states. The constitution limited its rights to vote for white men who
...no loyalty to the Crown now, in future conflicts, the colonists may turn against us and become our enemy. Radical action must be taken in order to regulate their behavior. They must recognize the royal authority.
Eliga H. Gould, The Persistence of Empire: British Political Culture in the Age of the American Revolution (North Carolina: Omohundro Institute, 2000),
At the time, larger states like Virginia were creating an unfair amount of power for themselves that the small states didn’t have. In the new government, Congress was created to make laws, and was made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives would give states a number of Representatives they could have based on their population. This would give fair power deserved to the larger states. The Senate however would be two and only two Senators for each state, no matter how large or small, bringing some equality to Congress.
It was not all as good for the Colonies as it seemed, however, for with that came the Declarative Act. The Declarative Act states that, “That the King’s Majesty, by and with the consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons of Great Britain, in parliament assembled, had, hath, and of right ought to have, full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever” (Temperley). This nullified any progress the House of Burgesses had accomplished. There was still hope, however, for the King George III to be appointed a new minister. He made a name for himself in the Colonies during the French and Indian War.
In “Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People” and “The declaration and Remonstrance of Sir William Berkeley his most sacred Majesties Governor and Captain General of Virginia”, they were pretending to be for the people and the king. They put on a facade to cover up their true intentions. Both Nathaniel Bacon and William Berkeley were insistent on discrediting the other by suggesting disloyalty. There was no way to end their debacle calmly.
The Articles set out to construct a substantial government and to merge the colonies to...
Edward, Rebecca and Henretta, James and Self, Robert. America A Concise History. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2012.
The French and Indian War impacted the trans-Atlantic economic relationship between the motherland and her colonies. Before the war colonists were rushing to buy new British manufactured goods resulting from the early stages of the industrial revolution. To pay for these manufactured goods, colonists increased their export of raw materials for sale to Britain. Although the exports were able to pay for a significant portion of cost of British imports, a significant shortfall was covered by British loans. This economic relationship saturated much of pre-French and Indian War colonial America and became normal. After 1763, Britain was in dreadful need for revenue to pay for the French and Indian War. Britain was clever on finding ways to raise revenue from the colonies. From 1650 to the end of the French and Indian War was a period of "salutary neglect." Britain had very little involvement in the lifestyle of the colonies. After the French and Indian War, mercantilism became strictly enforced. Merc...
Divine, Robert A. America past and Present. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education/Longman, 2013. 245. Print.
The Colonies were excited about having won their independence in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, but they still had to be able to create their own system of government which they thought would create a strong government which would not have an overpowering central government as they thought Great Britain had had. With this was the creation of the Articles of Confederation. These articles were meant to create strong local and state governments while not granting any power to the central government with the idea that it could not have any power over the states. The states were allowed to conduct their own diplomacy, or war, from nation to nation or even from state to state. States were allowed to create their own currency and put heavy import taxes on goods from other states. The federal government had no independent executive, nor could it levy taxes on any part of the states. It could not create or maintain a militia; this duty was left to the states. All decisions had to be ratified by all thirteen colonies. In thought, this was a great idea because only the most popular decisions would be ratified and stronger states could not hurt the smaller states through majority rule. In practice it did not work very well because it could be thwarted by a single stubborn state.
Lefler, Hugh T., and William S. Powell. Colonial North America. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973.
3. Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, eds., America Past and Present Volume II: since 1865 sixth edition (New York: Longman 2002).
McCullough offers a detailed account of the events of the Johnstown Flood as well as a thorough description of prior events, consequences, newspaper coverage and public opinion. McCullough makes a firm argument for the responsibility of man, and asserts the blame on the necessary people, therefore I feel he makes a fair and accurate assertion which I would agree with. By balancing his argument and depicting reasons why the flood was both a “work of man” and a “visitation of providence”, he illuminates not only the issues surrounding the Johnstown Flood, but on a broader scale he makes a powerful statement on the 19th century class structures that dominated ‘The Gilded Age’ of Victorian America. Throughout the book, I found the defining and most fundamental quote to be that of a New England newspaper that concluded, “The lesson of the Conemaugh Valley flood is that the catastrophes of Nature have to be regarded in the structures of man as well as its ordinary laws.”