Question

What is . . . or was . . . benign neglect? Who benefited from benign neglect? And was it a successful practice? Why did it change?

Answer 1

Answer.

Benign neglect was the unwritten, unofficial stance by England toward its American colonies Wherein the colonists were relatively autonomous and were allowed to govern themselves with minimal interference from the British Crown and Parliament. The colonies, in turn, accepted their role as the suppliers of raw materials for manufacture in England and as markets for those finished goods.

It is also known as the the policy of salutary neglect as it meant that the colonies were administered independent of the direct influence of the British monarchy on grounds of the difficulty in managing the political system in overseas colonies. However, regardless of the absence of control, the colonies were charged with a high taxation system which was levied according to the trade standards in England. Thus, as an administrative policy, benign neglect was meant to offer a privileged position to the Americans colonies so that ultimately the State of England  would have a more beneficial effect than assuming responsibility and draw unprecedented benefits from the trade in the colonies,

Howeve, this policy was found to give the American colonists a degree of independence that finally led emerging tensions which got translated into to the American Revolution when the American and Canadian civilians became disenchanted with half power as a colony and began to question this benign neglect by England and claim independence.