Essay Exam #1
Nathan Green
HIST 1700
February 25, 2015
Prof. Ted Moore
Exam Essay #1
Woodrow Wilson once said, “The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation” (web source #1). What was their beginning? It was a beginning of culture where ideals were shaped by those whom the colonist rebelled against. Salutary Neglect (1714-1750) was a period in which policy instituted by England allowed certain freedoms upon their American colonies. This policy turned a blind eye to colonial bribery and smuggling. Colonist would pirate and harass French, Dutch, and Spanish ships to disrupt trade. Colonist would ignore the laws and English officials would look the other way because it would benefit the investors in England. The American Revolutionary War happened because of the culture and mindset shaped in the colonies during the years of Salutary Neglect. It was a colonial culture that adhered to its own way of conducting business, the colonial mindset of assumed authority, and a sense of independence gained through that period.
The first effect of Salutary Neglect that led to the American Revolutionary War was the development of colonial culture that adhered to its own way of conducting business. During Salutary Neglect, bribery and smuggling were prevalent in the New World. It was imbedded into the culture and it was how one did business. The port officials, who were often locals, were contracted out by the actual appointed port official from England who did not want to move to the colonies. These local port officials looked the other way for a small bribe as smuggled goods were unloaded. When the English passed laws such as the Revenue Act (1762) it made English port officials actually live where they worked. It also doubled port officials, and crackdown on smuggling. This went against the years of a policy that looked the other way. The Stamp Act (1765) was a tax placed on paper goods which paid for the English troops protecting the frontier. As more and more acts were passed, the English started to enforce their laws. The colonists were upset with this and ignored the law and resulted in riots, such as the Stamp Act Riot (1765). The culture that had been established during Salutary Neglect disregarded laws and now that the English set laws and put people out in the colonies to enforce the laws, angered most colonists.
The second effect of Salutary Neglect that led to the American Revolutionary War was the mindset of assumed authority. In the course of Salutary Neglect there was a different political culture in the colonies. Colonial Governors were appointed by the King but paid by the colonial legislatures. The colonial legislatures were the bodies which made the laws of custom and tradition, and the custom and tradition was that of smuggling, bribery, and piracy. Governors were merely figureheads who attained their position through status and a payment to the King. The mindset of assumed authority that the colonist developed was challenged in the Townshend Duty Acts (1767). These acts were meant to raise revenue to pay the salaries of judges and governors so they would remain loyal to the crown, thus taking away that power from the colonist. It also tried to establish the authority England had to tax the colonies. This did not go over well. It eventually led to the Boston Massacre (1770) and the Boston Tea Party (1773). The Boston Massacre (1770) is best explained by the authors of Give Me Liberty and they said “On March 5, 1770, a fight between a snowball-throwing crowd of Bostonians and British [English] troops escalated into an armed confrontation that left five Bostonians dead “(Give Me Liberty, 147). Through this description you are able to identify that it was not a fair fight but that mindset established during Salutary Neglect of assumed authority stood firm within the colonist and they would not deter from standing for what they though was an injustice of laws placed upon them. This mindset can also be seen in the Boston Tea Party (1773). The authors of Give Me Liberty recount the story, “The tax on tea was not new. But many colonists insisted that to pay it on this large new body of imports would acknowledge Britain’s [England] right to tax the colonies. As tea shipments arrived, resistance developed in major ports. On December 16, 1773, a group of colonist disguised as Indians boarded three ships at anchor in Boston Harbor and threw more than 300 chests of tea into the water. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. The loss to the East India Company was around 10,000 English pounds (equivalent to more than $4 million today).”(Give Me Liberty, 148). Again it is stated in that recount of the story that the colonist felt paying the taxes would acknowledge Britain’s right to tax them (Give Me Liberty, 148), which would directly conflict with that mindset of assume authority they have had for years. And so conflict after conflict would continue to arise.
The final effect that led to the American Revolutionary War was a threat to the colonist sense of independence gained during Salutary Neglect. Throughout the years of the policy of Salutary Neglect the colonist were in power of their local governments. This sense of independence was challenged by the English with the Quebec Act (1774) and Coercive Acts (1774). The Coercive Acts (1774) held the punishments for the Boston Tea Party (1773) but most importantly limited town meetings. This was not taken lightly because town meetings is where they would solve the problems of the town and discuss matters relating to the town. Slowly England was stripping away their freedoms which led more and more colonist to become disillusioned with England’s rule. The Quebec Act (1774) legalized Catholicism and took territory from the colonist. It challenged the philosophy of John Locke who said the natural rights of every English citizens included life, liberty, and property. With the Quebec Act in place the right of property was taken away from the colonist and they longed for the sense of independence they felt during Salutary Neglect. These acts created discomfort, disillusion, and revived the sense of independence which would lead the colonist into the American Revolutionary War.
The American Revolutionary War happened because of the culture and mindset shaped in the colonies during the years of Salutary Neglect, which is a colonial culture that adheres to its own way of conducting business, the colonial mindset of assumed authority, and a sense of independence gained through that period. The colonial culture conducted business in a corrupt way that was accepted by all. The principle of enforcement challenged the colonial mindset of assumed authority. And once having a sense of independence it was difficult for them to imagine a rule under their English tyrants. The American Revolutionary War was, as Woodrow Wilson said, the beginning. It was beginning of new ideals and core beliefs framed from the time of Salutary Neglect.
HIST 1700
February 25, 2015
Prof. Ted Moore
Exam Essay #1
Woodrow Wilson once said, “The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation” (web source #1). What was their beginning? It was a beginning of culture where ideals were shaped by those whom the colonist rebelled against. Salutary Neglect (1714-1750) was a period in which policy instituted by England allowed certain freedoms upon their American colonies. This policy turned a blind eye to colonial bribery and smuggling. Colonist would pirate and harass French, Dutch, and Spanish ships to disrupt trade. Colonist would ignore the laws and English officials would look the other way because it would benefit the investors in England. The American Revolutionary War happened because of the culture and mindset shaped in the colonies during the years of Salutary Neglect. It was a colonial culture that adhered to its own way of conducting business, the colonial mindset of assumed authority, and a sense of independence gained through that period.
The first effect of Salutary Neglect that led to the American Revolutionary War was the development of colonial culture that adhered to its own way of conducting business. During Salutary Neglect, bribery and smuggling were prevalent in the New World. It was imbedded into the culture and it was how one did business. The port officials, who were often locals, were contracted out by the actual appointed port official from England who did not want to move to the colonies. These local port officials looked the other way for a small bribe as smuggled goods were unloaded. When the English passed laws such as the Revenue Act (1762) it made English port officials actually live where they worked. It also doubled port officials, and crackdown on smuggling. This went against the years of a policy that looked the other way. The Stamp Act (1765) was a tax placed on paper goods which paid for the English troops protecting the frontier. As more and more acts were passed, the English started to enforce their laws. The colonists were upset with this and ignored the law and resulted in riots, such as the Stamp Act Riot (1765). The culture that had been established during Salutary Neglect disregarded laws and now that the English set laws and put people out in the colonies to enforce the laws, angered most colonists.
The second effect of Salutary Neglect that led to the American Revolutionary War was the mindset of assumed authority. In the course of Salutary Neglect there was a different political culture in the colonies. Colonial Governors were appointed by the King but paid by the colonial legislatures. The colonial legislatures were the bodies which made the laws of custom and tradition, and the custom and tradition was that of smuggling, bribery, and piracy. Governors were merely figureheads who attained their position through status and a payment to the King. The mindset of assumed authority that the colonist developed was challenged in the Townshend Duty Acts (1767). These acts were meant to raise revenue to pay the salaries of judges and governors so they would remain loyal to the crown, thus taking away that power from the colonist. It also tried to establish the authority England had to tax the colonies. This did not go over well. It eventually led to the Boston Massacre (1770) and the Boston Tea Party (1773). The Boston Massacre (1770) is best explained by the authors of Give Me Liberty and they said “On March 5, 1770, a fight between a snowball-throwing crowd of Bostonians and British [English] troops escalated into an armed confrontation that left five Bostonians dead “(Give Me Liberty, 147). Through this description you are able to identify that it was not a fair fight but that mindset established during Salutary Neglect of assumed authority stood firm within the colonist and they would not deter from standing for what they though was an injustice of laws placed upon them. This mindset can also be seen in the Boston Tea Party (1773). The authors of Give Me Liberty recount the story, “The tax on tea was not new. But many colonists insisted that to pay it on this large new body of imports would acknowledge Britain’s [England] right to tax the colonies. As tea shipments arrived, resistance developed in major ports. On December 16, 1773, a group of colonist disguised as Indians boarded three ships at anchor in Boston Harbor and threw more than 300 chests of tea into the water. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. The loss to the East India Company was around 10,000 English pounds (equivalent to more than $4 million today).”(Give Me Liberty, 148). Again it is stated in that recount of the story that the colonist felt paying the taxes would acknowledge Britain’s right to tax them (Give Me Liberty, 148), which would directly conflict with that mindset of assume authority they have had for years. And so conflict after conflict would continue to arise.
The final effect that led to the American Revolutionary War was a threat to the colonist sense of independence gained during Salutary Neglect. Throughout the years of the policy of Salutary Neglect the colonist were in power of their local governments. This sense of independence was challenged by the English with the Quebec Act (1774) and Coercive Acts (1774). The Coercive Acts (1774) held the punishments for the Boston Tea Party (1773) but most importantly limited town meetings. This was not taken lightly because town meetings is where they would solve the problems of the town and discuss matters relating to the town. Slowly England was stripping away their freedoms which led more and more colonist to become disillusioned with England’s rule. The Quebec Act (1774) legalized Catholicism and took territory from the colonist. It challenged the philosophy of John Locke who said the natural rights of every English citizens included life, liberty, and property. With the Quebec Act in place the right of property was taken away from the colonist and they longed for the sense of independence they felt during Salutary Neglect. These acts created discomfort, disillusion, and revived the sense of independence which would lead the colonist into the American Revolutionary War.
The American Revolutionary War happened because of the culture and mindset shaped in the colonies during the years of Salutary Neglect, which is a colonial culture that adheres to its own way of conducting business, the colonial mindset of assumed authority, and a sense of independence gained through that period. The colonial culture conducted business in a corrupt way that was accepted by all. The principle of enforcement challenged the colonial mindset of assumed authority. And once having a sense of independence it was difficult for them to imagine a rule under their English tyrants. The American Revolutionary War was, as Woodrow Wilson said, the beginning. It was beginning of new ideals and core beliefs framed from the time of Salutary Neglect.
Work Cited
1. Wilson, Woodrow. "Woodrow Wilson Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, 2001. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Course Reflection
During this course many papers were written. Some of the papers were after review and analysis of documents to state a position. Then the information received from the documents would be used as evidence along with the material from the textbook for your position. The other papers were essay exams such as the one above, which posed a question why some event, ideology, or significant thing happened. Throughout the course and upon completing the papers my thinking has changed how I view history. I used to think that everything I learned was the one and only reason. However, by doing these assignments and taking this class I have learned that history is multi-layered and complex. There are many factors that influence the important events in history. The instructor does a very good job on making sure students comprehend these underlying beliefs, principles, and other contributing influences on each event.