Colonial+Gov.+&+Imperial+Policy

Colonial Governments and Imperial Policy in British North America **__Colonial Government__**
 * After the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England and the collapse of the Dominion of New England in America, the English government made no serious efforts to tighten its control over the colonies.
 * Period of "salutary neglect."
 * Britain did not #|practice day-to-day administration of its colonies.
 * By the 1750s, American assemblies claimed the right to levy taxes, make appropriations, approve appointments, and pass laws for their respective colonies.
 * Legislation was subject to veto by the governor or privy council.
 * Assemblies had leverage over governors through their control of the colonial budget.
 * Colonists could circumvent the privy council by repassing disallowed laws in slightly altered form.
 * Assemblies began to regard themselves as Parliaments (each as sovereign in its colony as Parliament itself was in England).
 * Despite the colonies' gradual seperation from Britain, at this time most colonists still viewed themselves as citizens of Britain and loyal to the crown.

**__Imperial Policy in British North America__**
 * In the 1750s, many Americans saw more benefits to the imperial system than costs. These benefits included opportunity for trade and commerce, military protection, and political stability.
 * By the 1770s, the relationship between Britiain and her colonies deteriorated, which lead to the American Revolution in 1775.
 * The weaknesses of administrative authority in London and the policy of neglect weakened England's hold on the colonies.
 * The character
 * of royal officials in America also contributed to England's loose control over the colonies (most of the appointed were neither able nor intelligent and appointments were usually a #|result of bribery and favoritism).

**__Effects that the French and Indian War had on imperial policy__** To the left is a newspaper published a few months after the Stamp Act had been passed by the British Parliament in the March of 1765. To the right is a close-up of the right corner of the newspaper, which illustrates how avidly opposed the colonists were to British control. Get loans at home
 * Britain greatly tightened its Navigation Acts and supplemented them with more taxes to help repay their war #|debt.
 * These newly imposed taxes include:
 * the Stamp Act of 1765 (this had the greatest impact on the colonists, as nearly has to buy printed goods).
 * The Currency Act of 1764 (required colonial assemblies to stop issuing #|paper money and adopt the hard currency that Britain used).
 * The Sugar Act of 1764 (designed to eliminate illegal sugar trade between colonies and French and Spanish West Indies).
 * The Mutiny/Quartering Act of 1765 (required colonists to house British soldiers). [[image:Stamp_Act.jpg width="240" height="253" align="right"]]