Final answer:
Salutary neglect was the British policy of allowing the American colonies to develop on their own. It was abandoned after the French and Indian War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term salutary neglect refers to the policy practiced by the British towards their American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This policy was based on the idea that the colonies would flourish if left alone, so the British government did not enforce Parliamentary restrictions like the Acts of Trade and Navigation. It was called salutary neglect because it was a beneficial form of neglect that allowed the colonies to develop their own economies and governments.
However, after the French and Indian War, the British abandoned this policy. The war was costly, and the British government wanted to assert more control over the colonies to recoup its expenses. This led to the passing of several acts, such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, which imposed new taxes and regulations on the colonies. These acts sparked protests and eventually laid the groundwork for the American Revolution.