Final answer:
The British ruled the American colonies after 1690 through a policy known as Salutary Neglect (C), allowing them considerable autonomy and self-governance while maintaining overall control. This system helped foster economic growth and local legislative development until stricter enforcement of laws began after the French and Indian War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe how the British ruled the American colonies after 1690 is C) Salutary Neglect. This policy involved a relatively hands-off approach, allowing the colonies to operate with a degree of autonomy and self-rule. While the British still exerted control and influence, especially through trade laws such as the Navigation Acts, they did not strictly enforce these rules. This period was characterized by local autonomy, the growth of colonial self-governance, and lax enforcement of mercantile laws by the British, which benefited the commercial interests on both sides of the Atlantic.
Salutary neglect meant that the American colonies had the freedom to develop their own legislative bodies and trade networks. The British perspective during this time was that the colonies would be more economically productive if they were not hindered by restrictive regulations, a view largely championed by Prime Minister Robert Walpole. However, the end of this policy and the imposition of new taxes and regulations in the wake of the French and Indian War would later contribute to the tensions leading up to the American Revolution.