"It is the opinion of all men of reflection here that the late measures of the British Ministry, in directing the commanders of his Majesty's ships on this station to act as customs officers and to seize all vessels engaged in contraband trade, will produce a total stagnation of our commerce. For near a century, our trade has been permitted to flow in its accustomed channels with little restraint. This sudden change from indulgence to the most rigorous execution of the laws has thrown the merchants into the utmost consternation."
— Letter from a Boston merchant to a business partner in London, November 1763
The concerns expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following shifts in British imperial policy?
- AA British effort to dismantle mercantilism in order to foster free-market competition and industrial growth within the colonies.
- The British government's decision to abandon salutary neglect in an effort to manage the massive debt from the Seven Years' War.Cevap
- CThe immediate implementation of the Coercive Acts to punish the colonies for smuggling foreign goods.
- DThe complete repeal of the Navigation Acts to ease economic tensions between colonial assemblies and the Crown.
Cevap
The British government's decision to abandon salutary neglect in an effort to manage the massive debt from the Seven Years' War.
The correct answer is correct because the letter describes a sudden shift from a period of relative 'indulgence' (salutary neglect) to a strict enforcement of trade laws and customs collections. This transition occurred immediately after the Seven Years' War as the British government sought to address its large national debt and assert greater control over its expanded empire.
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Anahtar Kavram
The transition from salutary neglect to active imperial reorganization and revenue collection after the French and Indian War.