History

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 11th grade October 2001

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DBQ October 6, 2001 "What then is the American, this new man?" (Document H) This question proved to be a shocking truth for English colonies by the eve of the Revolution. While in the course of salutary neglect, the American colonies developed a sense of unity, and their own culture and beliefs, while possessing a foothold in the British government. The colonists slowly backed away from this attachment with Britain and obtained their own rule, resisting the British regime. There were many factors that led to the revolutionary rage of American colonists, in late eighteenth century. The colonists had dreams of building new lives for themselves in North America, which left no room for the British. Through salutary neglect, the results of the French and Indian War, and recognition of the diversity of civilization, colonists had come to achieve a nationalistic view of their identities, but still wanted to preserve the faithfulness with Britain.

England practiced salutary neglect toward the colonies, which means they allowed the colonies to run themselves as they saw fit. The colonies had individual governments, and passed laws appropriate for the people in that colony. When the colonists first arrived in the North America, they found an endless number of opportunities for themselves. At the beginning of the colonial period, the British exercised a policy of salutary neglect toward them, which let the colonists pursue every one of these opportunities. Meanwhile, the British were preoccupied with wars of their own, being fought in Europe, which left them with no time to interfere with the colonies. They did not think that the colonists would be successful, so they did not interfere with colonial matters and let the American colonists conduct their lives as they wished. In this period, the colonists became accustomed to doing things their...