Final answer:
Salutary neglect was beneficial to the American colonies because it allowed them to develop economically without strict enforcement of British trading laws. Mercantilism, with its emphasis on control and profit for the mother country, was limited in benefit by high tariffs and trade restrictions, which colonists often circumvented through smuggling. The end of salutary neglect contributed to the tensions leading to the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Salutary neglect, a term coined by Edmund Burke, referred to the British policy of not strictly enforcing laws in its colonies. This approach allowed the American colonies to flourish economically through the relative autonomy it provided them. In contrast to the mercantilism embraced by British policy, salutary neglect was beneficial to the colonists because it allowed them to create a thriving maritime economy, particularly in New England, free from the constraints of strict regulations and high taxes that would typically accompany mercantilist strategies.
The mercantilist system, where the colonies were expected to serve the economic interests of the mother country, was less beneficial because it sought to control colonial trade and limited economic growth to what was best for Britain, not the colonies. High tariffs and restrictions on trade with other nations under the Navigation Acts were part of this strategy.
However, even during this period, many American colonists found it more profitable and convenient to adhere to these acts when it suited them, often engaging in smuggling to bypass mercantilist restrictions. This smuggling further emphasized the ineffectiveness of mercantilism in the face of colonial interests.