Regulating religion was nearly impossible, and without government intervention, colonists had the freedom to cultivate and use their money as they pleased. The distance of governing a colony from thousands of miles away led the colonies to develop their own governing system. In this context, Britain adopted a policy known as salutary neglect, allowing North American society to transform significantly from its original state in England.
The new world offered fertile land suitable for agriculture. This land proved to be highly productive and a valuable source of crops that could not be grown in England, such as tobacco and sugar cane. Although North American farmers were instructed to plant one acre of corn for every acre of tobacco, it was challenging to enforce this rule due to the lucrative nature of tobacco and the distance from England. Consequen
...tly, the oversupply of tobacco led its value to decline, making it unprofitable to grow.
During this time, farmers had a limited understanding of supply and demand and therefore continued to cultivate tobacco. In the West Indies, sugar cane was grown, which was a high-priced crop in England. Moreover, religious freedom and tolerance in the colonies surpassed any previous levels of persecution.
While religious persecution was still present, it was less severe and there were multiple places where one could escape it. In the colonies, the Church of England lacked sufficient power to impose its beliefs on the residents of the area. Meanwhile, Rhode Island implemented highly tolerant religious policies, allowing even non-believers in Jesus' divinity to live there free from fear of persecution. This inclusive approach extended to atheists and Jews as well. As a result, with
the monarchy situated far overseas, the colonies had to establish their own systems of self-governance.
An exemplary model of self-governance emerged in the Virginia colony with the establishment of the House of Burgesses. This assembly consisted of the Royal Governor and his appointed council, primarily composed of wealthy plantation owners. The House of Burgesses possessed legislative powers, enabling them to create laws for the Virginia colony. It served as a functional alternative to English government well into the seventeenth century.
Another instance of colonial governance can be observed on the Mayflower. Due to landing far from their original intended destination, the passengers lacked any regulatory framework or guidance. Consequently, they collectively decided to draft and adopt the Mayflower Compact as a guiding document.The Mayflower Compact was a pact among the 102 Mayflower settlers to establish a makeshift government until a proper one could be formed. Salutary Neglect, in turn, refers to the favorable ignorance of a matter. England's implementation of salutary neglect towards the colonies enabled the flourishing of American society, while still maintaining control over them in a more convenient manner.
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